Govindachamy’s jailbreak plan: No rice diet, workouts and months of plotting in Kerala

The escape of Govindachamy, the one-armed convict in the 2011 Soumya rape case, from Kannur Central Jail was anything but spontaneous. Police revealed that he had meticulously planned the jailbreak for over a month.

His swift recapture led to the suspension of four jail officials over serious security lapses. Ironically, the probe was launched on the same day Kerala Jail DGP Balramkumar Upadhaya had convened a special security review meeting. Tools used in the escape were recovered from his possession. He was taken for a medical check-up and will be produced in court.

Govindachamy began preparing for his escape nearly 45 days in advance. Knowing he would have to slip through cut iron bars, the one-handed convict set out to reduce his body size drastically.

He stopped eating rice—a staple in prison meals—and instead switched to chapatis. To avoid suspicion, he obtained a medical prescription from the prison doctor, citing health issues. This allowed him to stick to a minimal-carb diet without raising alarms.

Simultaneously, he adopted a strict workout regimen inside his cell. Daily exercise helped him shed weight steadily, further enabling his plan. Jail officials say he used the cover of medical advice to justify his eating and fitness routine, while in reality, it was all part of his elaborate escape plot.

His escape relied on patience and planning—not brute force. According to police:

Using a blade, he managed to saw through one horizontal and two vertical bars of his prison cell

On July 25, at around 1:15 am, Govindachamy made his move. Wrapped in a mosquito net and blanket, he appeared asleep. A warden who checked at 1:10 am mistook the shape for a sleeping prisoner. Minutes later, he had vanished.

Once out of the cell, Govindachamy assembled large drums and fashioned a rope from bedsheets and clothing. He threw it over the 25-foot high compound wall and scaled it—despite having only one hand. The electric fencing, reportedly defunct for over two years, posed no barrier.

There are no CCTV cameras inside cells, and footage from the prison veranda showed him moving through blind spots.

Despite his disability, he scaled a 25-foot-high wall—a feat that stunned authorities.

The convict admitted he initially planned to burgle nearby houses to arrange money before fleeing the country. But when residents began to notice him, he abandoned the plan and hid inside a dry well in an overgrown field in Thalappu.

It was here, around 10:30 am—less than 10 hours after the jailbreak—that police found him, based on tip-offs from locals who recognised him by his disability.

Three residents alerted authorities after spotting a man matching Govindachamy’s description. A sniffer dog tracked his scent for nearly 2 km, leading police to the well.

The arrest was dramatic: angry locals assisted police in pulling him out and were seen slapping him. He was taken to Kannur Town Station for questioning and later produced in court.

Following his capture, four prison officials, including the head warden, were suspended. The jail superintendent admitted to "a clear lapse in security".

The jailbreak sparked sharp criticism from opposition parties. Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan called it a "shameful reflection of law and order", alleging that inmates enjoy privileges like food from outside and mobile phones.

Former BJP state chief K. Surendran alleged political interference and said, “This escape wasn’t a jailbreak. It was facilitated. CPI(M) leaders are part of the jail committee.”

Soumya’s mother said the escape proves he had help. “This shouldn’t happen in a high-security jail,” she said through tears. “He shouldn’t be alive after what he did to my daughter.”

In 2011, 23-year-old Soumya was assaulted and raped by Govindachamy on the Ernakulam–Shoranur train. She was pushed off the train and succumbed to her injuries days later.

A fast-track court sentenced him to death, which was upheld by the Kerala High Court. But in 2016, the Supreme Court commuted the death sentence, dropping the murder charge while retaining the life sentence for rape.

Govindachamy had previously been convicted in eight criminal cases in Tamil Nadu.

A full-scale probe is underway. CCTV footage is being reviewed and prison security protocols reassessed. The dramatic jailbreak has triggered renewed calls for tighter prison oversight, stricter monitoring of high-risk inmates, and judicial accountability in high-profile criminal cases.

 - With inputs from IANS, ANI