TN: Fifth Escaped Prisoner From Theni Sub-jail Nabbed As He Tries To Flee In Auto
The escapee had hitched a ride on an auto-rickshaw at a distance away from the Thekkampatti sub-jail in the district, with the unsuspecting auto driver agreeing to drop him at Kanavilakku. En route, the driver picked up a woman passenger and was proceeding to the destination when a police head constable riding a two-wheeler intercepted the auto, identified the fugitive and asked the driver to take the "passenger" straight to the prison
Theni (Tamil Nadu): A fifth prisoner, among the 17 inmates who staged a jailbreak here, was nabbed by an alert police head constable while attempting to flee in an auto, police said on Tuesday. The escapee had hitched a ride on an auto-rickshaw at a distance away from the Thekkampatti sub-jail in the district, with the unsuspecting auto driver agreeing to drop him at Kanavilakku. En route, the driver picked up a woman passenger and was proceeding to the destination when a police head constable riding a two-wheeler intercepted the auto, identified the fugitive and asked the driver to take the "passenger" straight to the prison.
As many as 17 undertrial prisoners overpowered guards and escaped from the Thekkampatti sub-jail near Andipatti in this district late Monday night, triggering a massive interstate manhunt and immediate suspension of nine prison officials for gross negligence. Four of them were later recaptured.
Following the arrest of the fifth prisoner, identified as Lingeswaran, 12 fugitives remain at large.
According to police sources, Lingeswaran was spotted attempting to slip past the security perimeter established near the prison complex. He boarded an auto-rickshaw near a local college, where a woman also boarded the vehicle. However, his bid for freedom was cut short when a police officer on a two-wheeler spotted the auto-rickshaw near a medical shop along the route and signalled the vehicle to pull over immediately.
The policeman quickly identified Lingeswaran, took him into custody without resistance, and escorted him back to the prison.
Later, speaking to reporters, the auto-rickshaw driver recounted the unexpected interception, emphasising that he was merely carrying out his routine daily duties.
"I picked up the young man and a woman near the college. He asked me to take him to Kanavilakku," the driver explained.
"During the trip, he sat next to me and was constantly on his phone, talking to someone about transferring money through an ATM or mobile account. He didn't speak to me directly at all," the driver stated and added that he was entirely unaware of his passenger's identity until law enforcement intervened.
"Near the medical store, a police officer on a bike stopped us. The officer asked the female passenger to step out, took charge of the young man, and asked me to drive straight to the prison. It was only when the police stopped us that I realised he was an escaped inmate," the driver said.
