Govindachamy's jailbreak: Lapses in surveillance, defunct fencing

Kannur:  The Kannur Central Prison and Correctional Home is equipped with CCTV cameras both inside and outside the premises. Prisoners are required to enter their cells by 6 pm and officials stationed in the CCTV monitoring room are expected to monitor any movement thereafter closely. Yet, on the night of the jailbreak, these systems failed.                       

Govindachamy began sawing through the iron bars of his cell around 1.15 am. By fashioning a makeshift rope from clothes, he scaled the perimeter wall sometime between 4.50 and 5.00 am to leave the jail premises. So, how did a four-and-a-half-hour escape operation go unnoticed by the official on monitoring duty?

It turns out that the staffer assigned to monitor the CCTV feed had been sent to escort another prisoner to the hospital. Jail authorities admitted this was due to a shortage of personnel. But questions do remain,  especially about the timing. How did a prisoner happen to fall ill on the same night Govindachamy escaped?

Electric fence without electricity
To bolster security, a 1.5-metre-high electric fence had been installed on top of the jail’s 6-metre perimeter wall. But it’s been over a year since the fence stopped functioning, as no electricity runs through it anymore. All inmates were aware of this.

Though prison officials had submitted applications several times to the Jail Directorate (Kerala Prisons and Correctional Services) to repair the fence, no action was taken. Furthermore, the fence is made of plain metal rods instead of barbed wire, making it easier to climb over.

Continuous surveillance, but only on paper
The high-security prison is divided into four sub-blocks, each guarded by four Assistant Prison Officers during the night shift. According to regulations, a special chart is placed outside each sub-block, and officers are required to sign it every 30 minutes after verifying that all is in order inside the cells.

A Guard Officer is responsible for ensuring these checks are carried out, while a Night Checking Officer is expected to make unannounced inspections. This officer must enter the block only after communicating the security code to the outer guard and must verify that security protocols are being followed.

None of these procedures was observed on the night Govindachamy escaped. All four officers found negligent have since been suspended.

Contraband and weapons inside
There were complaints that mobile phones, narcotics, and tobacco products have been easily available inside the prison for a long time. Now, it has emerged that Govindachamy had access to weapons as well, in addition to the clothes he used to make the rope. This raises a disturbing question: Was it merely a security lapse, or was there complicity from within?

One hour to inform police
Around 6 am, prison staff noticed a rope made of clothes hanging from the perimeter wall. At first, it was unclear who had escaped. Only after inspecting individual cells did they realise Govindachamy was missing. It then took another hour for jail officials to notify the Kannur Town Police. Govindachamy had been held in solitary confinement inside a high-security cell in Block 10.