Tamil Nadu recaptures 13 of 17 escaped prisoners

Tamil Nadu police had recaptured 13 of 17 undertrial prisoners who escaped from Thekkampatti jail in Theni district by Tuesday evening, while four remained at large. Prisons Director General Sandeep Rai Rathore said nine prison staff members had been suspended and a detailed inquiry ordered into the escape and security lapses. The prisoners escaped late Monday after staff entered their shared cell in response to a reported medical emergency. Police and prison officials said the inmates allegedly claimed one prisoner was suffering a seizure, then attacked staff who came to help and fled through the main entrance. The alleged sequence remains subject to investigation. The escape prompted a search involving 17 special police teams, vehicle checks and operations across Theni and neighbouring districts. Authorities also alerted police in Kerala. More than 300 police personnel and drones supported a search in a forest area near Theni, where eight of the prisoners were apprehended, according to one account of the operation. The 13 recaptures included prisoners found near the jail, on nearby roads and in the forest. One was caught while travelling in an autorickshaw. Police said the...