Govindachamy's jailbreak exposes flaws in Kerala prisons; nearly 50 inmates escaped in 5 years

Thiruvananthapuram: Amid continued outrage over the dramatic jailbreak of notorious convict Govindachamy, fresh data reveals that more than 50 prisoners have escaped from Kerala’s jails since 2020.

According to prison authorities, several inmates escaped during hospital or court visits, while others failed to return after being released on temporary parole. Of the nearly 50 convicts who have escaped since 2020, 14 remain untraceable.

Lifers among those absconding

According to 2024 data, more than 100 convicts were released on parole, and 85 of them have yet to return. Some among the missing are serving life sentences.

From Thiruvananthapuram Central Jail alone, nearly 30 prisoners have not come back. Three went missing from Viyyur Central Jail, four from Kannur Central Jail, and 35 inmates failed to return from the Nettukaltheri and Cheemeni open jails.

Currently, Kerala’s jails house 4,251 convicted prisoners. However, the number of remand prisoners is 4,605, along with 1,238 undertrial inmates.

The authorities have expressed concern over the rising inmate population, noting that prisons are housing far more inmates than their sanctioned capacity, without a proportional increase in staff. The officials argue that the shortage of jail staff poses a serious security threat.

As of July 27, 2025, Kerala’s prisons are housing 10,054 inmates, well above the sanctioned capacity of 7,828. For example, Thiruvananthapuram Central Prison, which is authorised to accommodate 727 inmates, currently holds 1,585. Kannur Central Prison has 1,124 inmates against its approved limit of 948, while Viyyur Central Prison is housing 1,123 inmates despite a sanctioned capacity of just 553.