Theni jailbreak: Palaniswami, Dhinakaran criticise TVK-led Tamil Nadu government

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Tuesday (October 27, 2026) wondered how the Prisons Department had come to the present state of affairs even after a review was carried out by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay at the Puzhal prison in Chennai.

Commenting on the jailbreak in Theni district, in which 17 remand prisoners had escaped (13 of them were nabbed), Mr. Palaniswami, in a post on his social media handle, asked whether the Chief Minister had conducted a genuine review. “Or, was it an act of retribution, as reported in sections of the media? It would not be surprising if the present government released a 150-day souvenir, compiling events such as the increase in murders, crimes against women, drug abuse among functionaries of the ruling party, and the continuing trend of missing children,” he remarked. He called upon the government to pay greater attention to issues concerning law and order.

AMMK chief T.T.V. Dhinakaran, meanwhile, raised certain questions: whether the prisons had adequate staff; whether the CCTV cameras were functioning properly; whether standard procedures concerning the safety and supervision of prisoners were being followed; and whether senior officials had been conducting regular reviews. The jailbreak had exposed what he described as “incompetence” and “callousness” on the part of the government, Mr. Dhinakaran added.