Two brothers, Thirupathi and Meenakshi Sundaram, from Madurai have surrendered at the Cumbum Police Station in Tamil Nadu's Theni district following the escape of 17 inmates from the Theni district jail, police said on Wednesday, October 28, ANI reported.

Source: ANI via LatestLY

According to Theni Police, the two brothers surrendered at the Cumbum police station as authorities continued to deal with the reported escape of the inmates from the district jail. The development comes amid efforts to trace those who escaped from custody, ANI said.

Earlier on Tuesday, police recaptured 13 of the 17 inmates who escaped from the Theni district jail, with drone surveillance and extensive search operations launched to track down the prisoners, officials said. Prison DGP Sandeep Rai Rathore, who visited the district jail, said nine prison department officials had been suspended in connection with the incident and that the Tamil Nadu Police had actively participated in the operation, with two teams working together.

The 17 remand prisoners escaped from the District Jail in Thekkampatti, Theni district, on Monday night. Police accounts reported by Chennai Vision said the escape began around 10 p.m. when inmates raised an alarm claiming a prisoner was suffering an epileptic seizure; when a guard went to investigate, the prisoners allegedly overpowered staff, took keys near the main entrance, opened the gate and fled. The jail, which began operations on January 10, 2019, has an authorised capacity of 200 inmates but was housing 334 prisoners on Monday, according to that report.

Source: Chennai Vision

Kandamanur police have registered a case against all 17 escapees under eight legal provisions, including those concerning attempted murder, assault and robbery, Chennai Vision reported. Police said the search and investigation into the escape are continuing.