Medical examination of recaptured prisoners, allegedly thrashed by Theni jail warders, confirms injuries

A view of the district jail at Thekkampatti near Theni. | Photo Credit: File Photo A medical examination ordered by the Madras High Court with respect to four out of 17 recaptured prisoners, who escaped from Theni district jail on October 26, 2026, and allegedly thrashed by the warders after their recapture within two days, has revealed that they are suffering from multiple injuries.A Division Bench of Justices A.D. Jagadish Chandira and B. Karthikeyan were told that the medical examination of three prisoners, now shifted to the Salem central prison, and the fourth prisoner lodged at Palayamkottai central prison, by government doctors had confirmed the injuries sustained by them.The judges decided to take a further call on the issue after receipt of a report from the Tamil Nadu State Legal Services Authority (TNSLSA) on the inquiry that it had initiated with respect to allegations of the 17 prisoners having escaped from the prison only because of torture and ill-treatment by the warders.They directed the High Court Registry to list a writ petition filed by K. Arumugathammal, mother of two of the prisoners, on November 17, 2026, since the TNSLSA report was expected to be submitted to its executive chairman Justice S.M. Subramaniam, the seniormost judge of the High Court, only by November 16, 2026.In the meantime, the Deans of Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College Hospital in Salem and the Government Medical College Hospital in Tirunelveli were directed to provide requisite medical treatment to the injured prisoners and the prison authorities were directed to extend full cooperation to the doctors.The Division Bench also directed the chairpersons of the district legal services authority in Salem and Tirunelveli to monitor the medical treatment provided to the injured prisoners until it could hear the writ petition next on November 17, 2026, and pass further orders.The writ petitioner had filed the case accusing the Theni prison warders of having beaten all 17 recaptured prisoners, including her sons K. Meenakshi Sundaram (26) and K. Tirupathi (22), black and blue before transferring them to various other prisons spread across the State.The petitioner said that one of her sons had been transferred to Salem central prison and the other to Palayamkottai and that their co-prisoners N. Solai Mugileswaran (19) and P. Sabarinathan (24) were also suffering from injuries sustained due to the thrashing by the warders after their recapture.Passing interim orders in her case on November 3, 2026, the Division Bench led by Justice Chandira had ordered constitution of two medical teams comprising government doctors to examine the four inmates in the Salem and Palayamkottai prisons and file their reports before the court. Published - November 12, 2026 11:34 pm IST