Vellore jail to up security after prisoner escapes

Sahadevan (42) a native of Kandili near Vnaiayambadi and a tailor by profession, who also had worked as an electrician and cell tower employee scaled the prison wall with the help of a dhoti after first cutting off power supply to the wires atop the wall and then escaped. Though he was captured the same evening, prison officials were left red faced at the ease with which an ordinary remand prisoner escaped. This resulted in two senior jail staff being suspended and jail superintendant Shanmugasundaram being issued a memo by prison DIG J Baskaran.

Sahadevan’s interrogation revealed the ease with which he escaped.

Jail officials immediately chalked out a series of measures to ensure that once a prisoner entered the facility, his walking out depended on orders from the top.

Therefore, it was decided to raise the height of the prison’s 15 ft high perimeter wall by another 5 feet. Strands of barbed wire will be mounted on top of the wall for nearly 2 feet, above which would be the electrified wire.

Additionally, groups were formed with good conduct prisoners, in a bid to ensure that officials get crucial information in advance. “This would also work in favour of good conduct prisoners,” a source revealed.

Following the escape being detected, jail officials cleared bushes and shrubs adjacent to the wall, to prevent inmates from hiding among them, biding time to escape