Daijiworld Media Network - Coimbatore
Coimbatore, Nov 3: A remand prisoner who escaped from police custody at the Coimbatore Central Prison premises in the early hours of Saturday was arrested by a special police team on Monday evening following an intensive two-day search operation.
Director General of Police (DGP) Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal confirmed the arrest of K Raghavan alias Kozhikkaran, who was subsequently brought to Coimbatore district for further questioning.
Raghavan, reported to be 25 years old and a native of Bhavani in Erode district, faces several criminal cases in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, including robbery, theft and assault. According to police sources, he has multiple cases registered against him in the two states.
The incident occurred around 12.40 am on October 31, shortly after Raghavan was produced before a Fast Track Court Magistrate in Coimbatore on Friday night and remanded to judicial custody. Four police personnel were escorting him to the Coimbatore Central Prison through its west gate on Dr Nanjappa Road.
During the admission formalities, when the police personnel removed his handcuffs while taking him towards the inner entrance, Raghavan allegedly pushed them aside and fled into nearby bushes within the prison campus.
Despite the personnel chasing him, he managed to escape. The Race Course police registered a case, while several special teams from Coimbatore city and district police launched a coordinated search operation. CCTV footage was examined, drones were deployed and intensive vehicle checks were conducted across neighbouring areas.
Investigators reportedly traced his movements through CCTV footage, which showed him near LIC Junction on Avinashi Road about an hour after his escape. He was subsequently suspected to have travelled towards Balasundaram Road.
Police teams also alerted stations in surrounding districts and intensified searches at possible hideouts. He was finally traced and arrested in the Bhavanisagar region of Erode district on Monday evening.
Raghavan had earlier escaped from Karnataka police custody on June 19, 2026, while being transported after custodial interrogation in connection with a criminal case. He remained at large for nearly four months before Annur police arrested him on October 30. He escaped again while being taken to Coimbatore Central Prison the following night.
Four police personnel, including Sub-Inspector Abdul Muthalif, who were responsible for escorting him, were placed under suspension for alleged negligence of duty. The other personnel included constable Ranjith and armed reserve police personnel Dinesh and Karthik.
The latest escape has raised serious questions about security arrangements and coordination between the police and prison departments. Prison authorities maintained that Raghavan had not formally been admitted to the prison and was still under police custody when he escaped. However, the incident occurred within the prison campus, prompting questions over the security arrangements at the facility.
The incident comes within a week of the escape of 17 remand prisoners from Thekkampatti Sub-Jail in Theni district, raising concerns over repeated security lapses in Tamil Nadu's correctional facilities.
In response to the incidents, the state prison department temporarily suspended inmates' outgang duties across all nine central prisons. Inmates deployed at petrol bunks, prison bazaars, poultry units and gardens were directed to return to their respective prisons pending a review of their conduct and backgrounds.
The department has also initiated wider security measures, including reassessment of prison security arrangements and deployment of personnel to strengthen surveillance and prevent further escapes.