As CCTV footage emerged showing notorious criminal Balamurugan walking freely before his escape from the Viyyur Central Jail premises, the Kerala Police have intensified the manhunt to trace the accused. A senior police officer told Onmanorama that procedural lapses occurred during his transit from Virudhunagar to Viyyur Central Jail under the custody of the Tamil Nadu Police. Standard security protocols were not followed, and there were lapses in submitting the case history and summary, the officer said.

Convicted in a theft case registered at the Marayur police station in Idukki, Balamurugan was serving his sentence at Viyyur. He was taken by the Tamil Nadu police two days ago to Virudhunagar in connection with another case. On his return to Viyyur, he asked to use the restroom, prompting the officers to briefly remove his handcuffs. He then bolted through a nearby vegetable garden toward the main road and vanished. He was reportedly wearing a black shirt and white dhoti at the time of the escape.

The senior officer confirmed that there was no collusion between the accused and the Tamil Nadu Police in connection with the escape. CCTV visuals obtained from a hotel in Alathur show the accused walking freely without handcuffs. Meanwhile, police are probing the theft of a scooter from a house near Viyyur on the same night. Balamurugan, known for stealing bikes after jailbreaks, is suspected of having used the vehicle to escape. CCTV footage from nearby houses is being examined.

Thrissur District Police Chief Nakul Rajendra Deshmukh told Onmanorama that police suspect he may have fled to his hometown in Virudhunagar. “We have collected the CCTV footage and are examining the visuals. He has one conviction in Kerala for a theft case, and the remaining cases are in Tamil Nadu,” said Deshmukh.

K Anilkumar, Superintendent of the Central Prison and Correctional Home, Viyyur, said that Balamurugan was housed under strict surveillance. “Given his notorious background, he was kept under continuous watch and was not allowed out of his cell at daybreak like other prisoners. He had not attempted to escape from the prison before,” he said.

Meanwhile, Kerala Police have begun verifying the circumstances surrounding the escape. Statements have been recorded from the Tamil Nadu Police officers who escorted him. According to their account, the officers bought food for him from Alathur, after which he remained without handcuffs. Upon reaching the Viyyur jail compound, the vehicle was stopped so he could use the restroom. Only one officer stepped out with him, and it was at this moment that Balamurugan ran toward the compound and escaped.