Two inmates escaped from Chennai’s high-security Puzhal Central Prison within 24 hours, prompting complaints from prison authorities, the formation of more than a dozen special police teams and heightened monitoring of transport hubs and exit points across north Chennai.
According to prison sources, Sujith Buhari, a 21-year-old Nepali undertrial prisoner, went missing from the remand prison block on Tuesday. He had been lodged at the facility for about two months. Police sources said Buhari’s family had migrated to Chennai and was living in the city. He had been working at a hardware store before his arrest in a theft case, according to the report.
Prison warders noticed Buhari’s absence during the evening muster. A search operation was subsequently conducted across the prison campus, but he could not be traced. Prison sources said inmates are allowed out of their cells from 6 am and may move within designated areas during that period.
According to the same sources, Buhari had been sweeping the block with other prisoners when he sought permission from a prison official to visit the hospital. He allegedly used the opportunity to escape. Police suspect that he may have scaled the prison wall, although prison sources considered that unlikely. Authorities are questioning other inmates to determine whether the escape was planned or whether Buhari had discussed it with anyone inside the facility.
In a separate incident, a convict identified as Suresh went missing on Tuesday morning from the convict prison. Suresh was serving a sentence in a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and had been assigned to work at a petrol bunk operated by the prison. He is believed to have escaped while working outside the prison premises.
According to the report, Suresh was attending to customers when he allegedly slipped away amid the crowd. The two incidents involved different parts of the prison system: Buhari was lodged in the remand block as an undertrial, while Suresh was serving a sentence and had been assigned an external work duty.
Prison authorities filed complaints with Puzhal police on Wednesday regarding both incidents. More than a dozen special teams have been formed to trace the two men. Police teams are contacting their family members and known associates to gather information about their movements and possible getaway plans.
Authorities are also monitoring checkposts, bus termini and exit points in and around Puzhal and north Chennai as the search continues. The reported escapes have placed attention on inmate movement within prison blocks, supervision during assigned work and the controls used when prisoners are permitted to leave the main facility for duties or medical visits.
