While there may be complaints about the efficiency of the Kerala Police, it remains a fact that they are among the best in the country. That said, it would also be wrong to claim that every member of the force lives up to that standard.

In the case of Govindachamy’s escape, it was the alertness and cooperation between the police and the public that led to his capture within just a few hours. The same, however, cannot be said of the jail department. Had the department shown even a fraction of the vigilance displayed by the police and the public, this embarrassing breach might have been prevented. This was a complete and undeniable failure of the prison authorities and a shameful one at that.

There is every reason to believe that Govindachamy received assistance both from inside and outside the prison. This is not the first time inmates at Kannur Central Jail have benefited from such internal support. His escape was not an impulsive act but a carefully planned operation. It is inconceivable that he could have scaled the prison wall without external help.

Several troubling questions remain unanswered. Why was the electric fencing on the perimeter wall non-functional? Installing surveillance systems like CCTV is one thing, but ensuring they are properly maintained and actively monitored is just as important. That was not the case here.

During my tenure as the Additional Chief Secretary of the Home Department, the highest number of complaints I received was related to the Kannur Central Jail. Time and again, the officials tasked with supervising the facility seemed helpless. Most of them were even afraid to inspect all the cells.

When the Home Department finally issued a directive to inspect the jail, the response from the ground was that there were ‘many difficulties’ in carrying out such a task. Ultimately, the government had to issue a formal order to enforce the inspection, an order that exposed just how powerless the administration had become when it came even to conducting a routine process within the prison.

Inmates have been freely using mobile phones and narcotic substances are flowing in. The decision to exempt certain cells from inspection appears to lie not with the authorities, but with inmates who have strong political connections.

We do not yet know whether Govindachamy had any such connections that aided his escape. However, the surgeon who conducted the forensic examination once revealed that he had received threats from Tamil Nadu. It is now being indicated that Govindachamy had been preparing for this jailbreak for years.

One cannot cut through the iron bars of a cell in just a day or two. It requires days of effort, during which someone should have noticed. If they didn’t, then what kind of monitoring is being done at this jail? It is also reasonable to assume that Govindachamy had access to a mobile phone to keep track of news from outside or communicate with people beyond the prison walls.

Perhaps most shocking of all is the fact that prison officials only discovered the escape several hours after it happened. What’s more alarming is the delay in informing the police.

Is it believable that no one saw him stepping out of his cell, tying together clothes to make a makeshift rope and then using it to scale the wall? That stretches credibility. It should also be examined how Govindachamy was allowed to grow a beard inside the jail. Inmates are required to remain clean-shaven unless exempted for medical reasons and even then, only with certification from a doctor confirming some infection or other condition.

The incident in which a young girl was pulled from a moving train, brutally raped and murdered was widely discussed across the entire nation. And now, the sheer negligence in handling the convict in that very case has led to a grave lapse in duty. Every parent with a daughter must share the same fear and anguish as the victim’s mother. They are all constantly worried about how to keep their children safe from predators like Govindachamy.

Following the jailbreak, four prison officials on duty that night have been suspended. But Govindachamy had been making preparations for months. How many officials, across how many shifts and nights, failed to notice?

A thorough inquiry must determine who was responsible for these lapses. And those found guilty should face the strictest possible action. Such officials are not eligible to continue in service. The disciplinary action taken against them must also serve as a lesson to other officials.
(The writer is a former Additional Chief Secretary of Kerala)