Kerala rape-murder convict Govindachamy moved to high-security prison after failed jailbreak

Dubai: Kerala’s notorious rape-murder convict Govindachamy was transferred from Kannur Central Prison to Viyyur High-Security Prison in Thrissur on Saturday morning—just a day after his dramatic escape and re-arrest.

According to media reports, the 41-year-old—sentenced to life for the 2011 rape and murder of a 23-year-old woman—was transferred around 7.15 am (local time) following a decision by the Kerala Prisons and Correctional Services.

Viyyur High-Security Prison, where Govindachamy has been transferred, is a modern, three-storey facility located within a nine-acre compound. It features 192 cells designed to prevent inmates from seeing each other, enhancing security and privacy.

The prison has the capacity to house up to 600 prisoners but currently holds 235 inmates, with 60 staff members on duty.

Equipped with state-of-the-art security measures, the facility includes CCTV surveillance covering all cells and premises, a biometric fingerprint lock system controlling staff and visitor access, and a body scanner to strengthen entry-point security.

The administrative block manages daily operations, ensuring strict control and safety throughout the prison.

Govindachamy was found hiding in a well on an overgrown, abandoned plot in Talap—around nine hours after he escaped. According to police, he was missing from the jail around 1.15 am and was caught by 10.30 am, following a tip-off and sniffer dog assistance.

Eyewitnesses said locals helped pull him out and some even slapped him in anger as police arrested him.

Top police officials confirmed that Govindachamy had been plotting the escape for over 20 days. “Some tools were recovered from his possession,” said Kannur City Police Commissioner Nidhinraj IPS, who added that an investigation is underway to determine if he had inside help.

Officials suspect the convict used a rope made of clothes to scale the 25-foot wall. At the time, CCTV footage was reportedly not monitored properly, and power in the jail had been turned off.

Three prison officers were suspended on Friday following a preliminary inquiry into the jailbreak. A fourth suspension followed the next day.

Suspended officers include:

The suspension orders, issued by DIG Jayakumar V, cited “gross negligence” and directed immediate compliance from the prison superintendent. Under KSR Rule 55, the officials will receive subsistence allowance during their suspension.

Opposition leaders have slammed the state government over the lapse.

Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan said the escape was a "shame" for the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government, accusing the jail of being a “free-for-all”.
“How did a one-handed man collect bedsheets, tools, and even food from outside?” he asked.

BJP leader K. Surendran alleged political protection behind the escape. “This was not an escape; it was a facilitated release,” he said, pointing fingers at the CPI(M)-led jail advisory committee.

Soumya’s mother expressed deep anguish over the escape.
“This should never have happened in a high-security jail with CCTV surveillance. Someone helped him,” she said.

Breaking down after hearing of his arrest, she questioned the 2016 Supreme Court decision that commuted his death sentence. “Why was he allowed to live after he took away my daughter’s life?”

Govindachamy was convicted for raping and killing Soumya, a 23-year-old woman travelling on a passenger train from Ernakulam to Shoranur on February 1, 2011.

He pushed her off the train, raped and assaulted her. She succumbed to her injuries five days later. The fast-track court sentenced him to death in 2012. The Kerala High Court upheld the ruling, but in 2016, the Supreme Court dropped the murder charge and commuted the sentence to life.

Govindachamy, who hails from Tamil Nadu, was already a repeat offender with at least eight criminal convictions.

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