Pocso convict on duty at fuel station escapes
An initiative of the Prison Department to reform prisoners, the inmates are brought every day to the facility to work in different shifts.
Representative Image (File)
COIMBATORE: A Pocso convict, deployed on duty at the prison department-run petrol bunk on Bharathiar Road in Coimbatore, escaped early Sunday morning. Three police officials who were on duty at the fuel station were placed under suspension.
The 32-year-old convict, S Vijay Rathinam from Gudalur in The Nilgiris, was lodged in Coimbatore Central Prison after being sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for sexually assaulting a minor in 2017.
However, in view of his good conduct, Rathinam was deployed at the prison-run Freedom Filling Station to work the night shift from 9 pm to 6 am. An initiative of the Prison Department to reform prisoners, the inmates are brought every day to the facility to work in different shifts.
It was around 6 am that the prison staff noticed that Rathinam was missing when they came to take the inmates back to the prison. Despite a search at the nearby bus stand and other places, Rathinam could not be found.
Based on a complaint, the Kattoor police registered a case and three special teams of police have launched a search. The police have also checked the CCTV footage from the neighbourhood.
Meanwhile, Coimbatore Central Prison Superintendent M Senthil Kumar issued an order placing three officials on duty at the fuel station under suspension for dereliction of duty.
