Kannur: Convicted rapist Govindachamy, who escaped from the high-security Kannur Central Jail on Friday morning, was brought back to the facility in the afternoon under heavy police escort for evidence collection, and stunned onlookers by casually waving at the crowd and media without a trace of remorse.

The escapee, infamous for the brutal 2011 Soumya murder case, was taken to the prison around 4 pm after undergoing a mandatory medical examination. His arrival drew a large crowd, with tight security measures in place to prevent any disruption. As he was being led away after the crime scene reconstruction, Govindachamy waved through the window of the police vehicle, an act that has sparked widespread outrage.

During interrogation inside the jail, Govindachamy explained in detail how he scaled the compound wall to escape. Police sources said he answered all questions calmly and without hesitation.

The prison break had taken place in the early hours of Friday, triggering a massive manhunt. Eyewitness accounts revealed that a one-armed man was spotted acting suspiciously near the Talap area. A bus driver who recognised the man reportedly shouted out “Govindachamy”, causing him to flee into a patch of overgrown land.

He was later found hiding in an abandoned building near the National Statistics Office, after jumping into a compound well to evade capture. Police nabbed him from the well and took him into custody.

Prison authorities have come under intense scrutiny following the incident. North Zone DIG of Prisons acknowledged “clear lapses” on the part of the jail staff. Preliminary findings suggest that all three officers on night duty were asleep at the time of the escape, including the officer responsible for monitoring the CCTV cameras. Mandatory cell checks, expected to occur at regular intervals, were reportedly not conducted.