Chennai: Armed guards will be deployed at all central and district prisons across Tamil Nadu from Wednesday, Director General of Police for Prisons and Correctional Services Sandeep Rai Rathore said on October 28, news agency IANS reported. The deployment is part of a major security overhaul announced after 17 inmates escaped from the Theni district jail on Monday night.

Source: IANS via HiIndia

Rathore said armed personnel will be posted on watchtowers, with instructions to shoot in the event of an escape attempt. Until now, guards posted on watchtowers in most jails in the state did not carry weapons, he said. The department will also ensure that alarm systems function properly in all jails.

Additional security measures will be implemented after a security audit is completed and a revised standard operating procedure is put in place, Rathore said. Prison authorities are reviewing security arrangements across the state as part of the overhaul.

Acknowledging the security failure at Theni, Rathore said prison staff had acted in good faith when they were alerted to a reported medical emergency involving an inmate, but the prescribed procedure for securing the gates was not followed. Staff unlocked three gates and rushed inside, and did not lock the gates from the inside, leaving the route unsecured. The inmates took advantage of the situation, attacked the guards and escaped, an official said, describing the failure to secure the gates as a major deviation from protocol.

Source: IANS via BizzBuzz

In the manhunt that followed the Monday night escape, police recaptured 13 of the 17 inmates within about a day, and nine prison officials were suspended, ANI reported on October 27. The search and the departmental inquiry into the lapses have been continuing alongside the new statewide measures.