Theni jail escape: 17 fled, 4 caught, nine guards suspended
Tamil Nadu's prisons chief says staff were distracted by an inmate's claimed epilepsy attack, letting prisoners overpower warders and walk out of the main gate.
1 of 5
Seventeen remand prisoners escaped from the Theni district jail on Monday night; four have been caught.
DGP (Prisons) Sandeep Rai Rathore blamed "human error", saying staff focused on shifting an inmate who reportedly had an epileptic fit.
Nine guards have been suspended, an inquiry has been ordered, and Keralam police have been asked to watch border roads.