Rape And Murder Convict Govindachamy Arrested Hours After Escaping From Kannur Central Jail

Kannur : Govindachamy, a convict serving a life sentence in the 2011 Soumya rape and murder case, escaped from the high-security Kannur Central Jail in Kerala on Friday, but was caught hours later, officials confirmed. The convict, who does not have a left hand, was caught from near a derelict building in Thalap, within Kannur city limits. Reports suggest the habitual offender managed to climb the prison’s wall, which is atleast 15-foot-high, to escape.

As of now, we have no information indicating the involvement of others, but that will also be investigated, he said. A case has been registered by the Kannur Town Police, and he will be presented before court as part of procedure. The disappearance came to light during a routine inspection of his cell in the early hours of the day. Jail authorities immediately launched a search operation in and around the prison premises, but the inmate was nowhere to be found.

CCTV footage shows Govindachamy walking on the road after his escape from the jail. Soumya, a 23-year-old woman from Manjakkad near Shornur, was raped and murdered while travelling alone on a passenger train from Ernakulam to Shoranur on February 1, 2011. Sumathy, Soumya’s mother, expressed shock over the escape and questioned how such a lapse could happen. “Kannur jail is huge. How can he jump and escape from there? He can’t do that without support. It’s impossible. Someone inside is helping him. He has only one arm and the wall is huge. He should be caught immediately. I don’t think he would have left Kannur yet,” she said.

The notorious criminal escaped at 1 am. The prison authorities found out about it at 5 am. The police were informed at 7 am. There was electric fencing on the wall. The electricity was turned off when he escaped from prison.

Read Also : Spike in Air India Pilot Sick Leave After Ahmedabad Crash: 112 Pilots Absent on June 16