Theni, 28 Oct (H.S.): Tamil Nadu will deploy armed guards at central and district prisons from Wednesday as authorities tighten security following the escape of 17 inmates from Theni district jail on Monday night.

Director General of Police, Prisons and Correctional Services, Sandeep Rai Rathore said the department was reviewing safeguards across prisons and drawing up a revised standard operating procedure to address weaknesses exposed by the jailbreak.

The escape occurred after staff responding to a reported medical emergency opened three gates but failed to secure them from inside, leaving an exit route accessible to inmates.

Taking advantage of the unsecured passage, the prisoners attacked guards and fled, an officer said, describing the failure to relock the gates as a serious violation of established protocol.

As part of the security overhaul, armed personnel will be stationed in prison watchtowers. Rathore said they would be instructed to shoot at sight in the event of an escape attempt.

The deployment marks a change from the prevailing arrangement at most prisons in the State, where watchtower guards perform surveillance duties without firearms.

The department will also check alarm systems and ensure they are functional at every prison. Further safeguards will be introduced after the security audit and revision of operating procedures are completed, Rathore said.

Acknowledging lapses at Theni, he said staff had acted in good faith after being alerted to what they believed was an inmate's medical emergency. Their response, however, breached the prescribed procedure for securing gates.

Staff rushed inside to attend to the reported health problem without locking the three gates behind them. This left the passage unsecured while they attended to the inmate.

While armed deployment begins immediately, the next phase of security changes will be guided by the audit findings and revised procedures, with the Theni incident highlighting the need to maintain gate security even during an emergency.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman