Govindachamy case: Officer axed for execution remark
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
Deputy prison officer at Kottarakkara special sub-jail Abdul Sattar I appeared on a television channel on July 26 —a day after Govindachamy's escape and recapture— to share startling details about the convict's past and alleged intentions. Sattar's appearance, without prior departmental clearance, triggered swift disciplinary action from DIG (prisons and correctional services-south zone), citing gross misconduct and violation of service rules.
In the interview, Sattar said Govindachamy long intended to escape from prison and warned officers that if anyone tried to stop him, he would retaliate by invading their homes, tying them up and sexually assaulting their families. Some inmates informed prison officials about Govindachamy's connections to stolen gold hidden in Coimbatore crematoriums, Sattar said. He hinted at a possible network protecting Govindachamy.
In a remark that raised both legal and ethical concerns, Sattar said it would have been better if Govindachamy was executed earlier and, if needed, he himself was willing to be the executioner.
The suspension order said such unvetted revelations on a public platform have the potential to deeply embarrass the department, demoralise fellow officers and expose sensitive procedural failures. The DIG's communication referenced Rule 62 of Kerala Govt Servants Conduct Rules and a circular issued on April 22 this year (No.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
06/2025), which prohibits prison officials from engaging with the media without formal approval.
The remarks sparked a wider conversation, both within govt circles and in public discourse, about professional responsibility and the boundaries of free expression for uniformed personnel. Sattar, who has been reportedly under scrutiny recently over other controversies, will remain under suspension pending further inquiry.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
2 days ago
- The Hindu
Govindachamy's escape exposes vulnerabilities of State prisons
Just before heading out for work on Friday morning, E. Vinoj Kumar, a private finance company employee of Kannur, quickly checked the WhatsApp messages on his mobile phone. Govindachamy escaped from the Kannur Central Prison, read a message. The image stopped Vinoj in his tracks. Like many others in Kerala, he vividly remembered the case and the outrage it had triggered. Making a mental note of the message, he hurriedly left for work. A few moments later, while moving along Pamban Madhavan Road, near Talap, he slowed down his vehicle to give way to a speeding bus. Just then, a man walked towards him, partly blocking the road. Something about the man made Vinoj look again. 'He was a lean fellow, wearing a white shirt and black trousers, and had one of his hands pushed under a bundle of cloth that he was carrying on his head,' Vinoj recalls. He sported a beard, unlike the image of the prisoner which was circulated on social media. Yet, something rang in his mind. He shared his doubts about the identity of the man with an autorickshaw driver whom he met on the road. 'I told him that the man looked like Govindachamy. The man walked faster as we approached him,' recollects Vinoj. As the autorickshaw driver attempted to strike up a conversation with the man, he didn't respond. He took to his heels when his name was called out. As he fled the scene, his amputated hand was revealed, which confirmed their suspicion. It was the life convict Govindachamy. Vinoj wasted no time in alerting the police. As the police were searching the area for the convict, M. Unnikrishnan, a government employee, reached his office at Talap for the day's work. 'One of my colleagues had alerted me about the news that the jailbird was last seen in the Talap area. There are a few vacant plots next to our office building, which, I felt, could serve as hiding places for criminals,' Unnikrishnan says. He ventured out to inspect the plots before the police team reached the area. Just to make sure, he threw a casual look into a well located in his office compound. To his shock, he saw Govindachamy trying to remain immersed in the water to escape the police. Ignoring the threats of the criminal, Unnikrishnan raised the alarm. In no time, the police reached the area and pulled the convict out of the well, thus ending the high-voltage prison escape that kept the State in the throes of tension for hours. Though the convict had jumped jail in the early hours of the day, his absence was noticed only a few hours later during the morning roll call. The discovery of a makeshift rope hanging from the outer wall of the jail, which he used for escaping, confirmed the suspicion. P. Nidhinraj, District Police Chief (Kannur City), described the escape as a 'well-planned operation.' Investigation revealed that the outlaw had collected clothes of remand prisoners to make a rope, used the abandoned water drums to scale walls. He had modified his dietary practices to lose weight and squeeze himself through narrow cell door rods. A hacksaw blade is suspected to have been used to cut through the iron bars of his cell in Block 10, reserved for high-risk inmates. The police believe that he slipped out of his cell around 1 a.m. and scaled three walls using the rope and the water drums. After spending around three hours on the jail compound, he is believed to have cleared the outer compound wall by 4.30 a.m. A defunct electric fence made his escape an easy affair, suspect police officers. A senior prison officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, says the jail staff had ignored the several 'tell-tale signs', including the altered behaviour and appearance of the prisoner, which, if noticed, would have prevented the escape. For one, Govindachamy had begun growing beard, which should have triggered suspicion in the minds of diligent officers. Moreover, his drastic dietary changes and noticeable weight loss also surprisingly went unnoticed, he says. The glaring lapses in the monitoring and surveillance system in the prison did not stop there. The empty drums on the jail premises and the easily accessible loose materials such as cloths, which the convict made use of for scaling the wall, were neither cleared nor flagged, despite routine patrols. Such 'tools' could be hoarded by prisoners looking for an opportune moment to escape, he says. Ashokan Arippa, a former Superintendent of the Kannur Central Prison, blames it on the security lapses and dereliction of duty of the jail officers concerned. 'A better vigilance and monitoring of the prisoners would have averted the incident. Most of the surveillance devices installed in the jail, including the CCTV cameras, were either non-functional or not pressed into service, which helped the convict slip out of the prison unnoticed,' he says. But Govindachamy's escape, observers say, is merely a symptom of a deeper institutional malaise. It has exposed the vulnerabilities of the prison system across the State, they say. The electric fencing at the Kannur Central Prison has been non-functional for nearly three years, a detail Govindachamy and others might have noticed. Only the Viyyur Central Prison and the adjacent High Security Prison at present have operational electric fencing. Many of Kerala's prisons, some built during British rule, are ageing relics in dire need of modernisation, points out a senior functionary of the Prisons department. T.P. Senkumar, former Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services, feels that most of the correctional facilities are unfit to be called prisons. 'Inmates are kept in small, poorly ventilated cells, often without fans. Surviving the summer months is a struggle.' Overcrowding has only worsened the situation. The average occupancy rate in Kerala's prisons is around 135%, higher than the national average of 131%. Official figures show 10,605 inmates are crammed into 57 prisons designed to hold only 7,828. The situation is dire in key facilities, including the central prisons at Poojappura, Viyyur, and Kannur, and the district jails in Ernakulam and Kottayam. The Block 10 at the Kannur Central Prison, in which Govindachamy has been lodged, is meant for solitary confinement. However, the authorities have put two inmates each in the 6 ft x 6 ft cell. The staff strength of the Kerala Prisons and Correctional Services has not grown proportionally to the number of inmates. The force has 2,289 personnel against a sanctioned strength of 2,415. Given the present number of inmates, it would require at least 3,600 employees to ensure effective round-the-clock surveillance and proper administration of jails, according to department officials. To plug the gap, prison authorities have increasingly turned to workers hired on a daily wage basis, a trend former Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services Alexander Jacob warns is fraught with risk. 'Contract workers are not bound by any service rules and are vulnerable to outside influence. This could open the door to corruption and resultant security lapses,' he cautions. Compounding these issues are bureaucratic delays and inadequate funding for the department. Crucial surveillance facilities like CCTV cameras and electric fences lie defunct due to the lack of annual maintenance contracts. Despite repeated reminders, the facilities have not been made operational, say department sources. 'During the 13th Finance Commission, we secured ₹154 crore for the purpose. Since then, no proposals have been submitted, leading to a complete funding drought over the next two Finance Commissions.' Besides the poor infrastructure facilities, political interference too has long plagued Kerala's prison system, say those familiar with the jail system. Senkumar alleges that certain prisons, especially Kannur, are seen as strongholds of some political parties. 'The Kannur Central Prison is effectively under the control of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Democratic Front. Only politically aligned officers are appointed there. The jail advisory committees, often composed of influential politicians, some with serious criminal charges, exert disproportionate influence on jail governance,' he alleges. Ashokan Arippa concurs: 'Political pressure demoralises staff. Officers work in fear of repercussions.' However, P. Jayarajan, a member of the Kannur Jail Advisory Committee and a State committee member of the CPI(M), dismisses the allegations as politically motivated. 'It's a propaganda of the anti-Left forces and the right-wing media. Let us not forget the escape of 'Ripper' Jayanandan, a death row prisoner, from the Poojappura Central Prison in 2013 when the Congress-led United Democratic Front government was in power,' he counters. He also quickly points out that the advisory panels have no role in the daily affairs of the prison. 'The panel's role is limited to recommending the premature release of convicts.' Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who also holds the Home portfolio, has ordered a special investigation headed by former Kerala High Court Judge C.N. Ramachandran Nair and former State Police Chief Jacob Punnoose. Ramachandran Nair acknowledges the need for prison-specific reforms in the State. 'Each prison has unique shortcomings and issues to address. While overcrowding has remained a persistent issue, the situation has been exacerbated by the rising number of crimes, particularly drug-related offences.' Balram Kumar Upadhyay, Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services, says the demand for establishing more jails and enhancing the infrastructure facilities in existing ones will be examined soon. While the jailbreak has put the jail department in a bad light, it has also served as a wake-up call for the State government to introduce correctional measures in the functioning of the Prisons and Correctional Services of the State.
Hans India
2 days ago
- Hans India
Dharmasthala mass grave case: SIT recovers bones at 6th burial site
Mangaluru (Karnataka): In a major development in connection with the mass grave allegation case, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has recovered bones during the excavation of the sixth burial site at a Hindu pilgrimage centre in Mangaluru district of Karnataka, sources confirmed on Thursday. This discovery is likely to mark a significant turning point in the investigation into the mass grave allegations in the Dharmasthala temple town. According to SIT sources, two bones were recovered from the sixth burial site located in a forested area. Following the recovery, the SIT has shifted its full focus to a careful and detailed excavation of the site, with the entire team redirected to assist with the process. In response to the discovery, SIT chief DGP P. Mohanty and DIG M.N. Anuchet are rushing to the site. The excavation is being carried out in the presence of the Tehsildar, forensic science experts, and SIT personnel. Authorities are proceeding cautiously with the digging process. The recovered bones will be documented and sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for further examination and DNA analysis. Sources stated that the whistle blower has claimed that he had buried 8 bodies at the 6th burial site. However, no official statement has been released yet regarding the discovery. Meanwhile, DGP and IGP M.A. Saleem has issued an order deputing nine additional police personnel — including a head constable and several constables — to assist the SIT in the ongoing investigation. Earlier, the department had provided 20 police officers to the SIT. Digging at the marked burial sites continued for the third consecutive day on Thursday, despite rain. Of the 13 marked burial sites, excavation work is currently underway at sites numbered 6, 7, and 8. Civic workers are being deployed to carry out the digging, while Tehsildars, forensic science experts, and the complainant are also present at the site for monitoring. SIT chief Mohanty had earlier stated that nothing has been recovered from the burial sites excavated so far. However, reports have surfaced that sleuths recovered a red torn blouse and a PAN card belonging to a woman named Lakshmi from the first burial site. Additionally, the whistle blower and complainant in the case has reportedly submitted a skull — allegedly excavated from the burial site — to the SIT. In a major development, on July 11, the unidentified complainant in the case, who had claimed that he was forced to bury several bodies of women and girls who were raped and murdered in Dharmasthala village appeared before a court in Karnataka's Mangaluru district and recorded his statement. He requested that the police exhume the bodies in his presence. He further alleged that the bodies of the women showed clear signs of sexual assault. They were found without clothes or undergarments and bore injuries suggesting violent sexual acts. The revelations have shocked the state. A retired Supreme Court judge and activists demanded a SIT probe monitored by the Supreme Court or the High Court into the shocking Dharmasthala murders involving many women, girls and destitute men. The development has sparked a major controversy.
The Hindu
4 days ago
- The Hindu
Dead fences and crumbling walls, Kerala's prisons vulnerable to more breaches
The escape of rape and murder convict Govindachamy from the Kannur Central Prison has exposed deep-rooted lapses in Kerala's prison security system, where outdated infrastructure and administrative inertia have long gone unaddressed. The electric fencing at the prison, meant to deter such breakouts, has not been functioning for nearly three years. This is not an isolated lapse. Except for the Viyyur Central Prison and the adjacent High Security Prison, all central prisons in the State suffer from similar vulnerabilities. Sources point to chronic underfunding and poor interdepartmental coordination as key reasons delaying much-needed security upgrades of prison facilities. While electric fencing has been installed around the central prisons, except the Thavanur Central Prison and the High Security Prison, several years ago, the absence of live power supply has rendered these systems ineffective. At the Poojappura Central Prison, the fencing has been inoperative for nearly two years. The issue stems from expired annual maintenance contracts (AMC) and persistent delays by implementing agencies, including the Public Works department, in preparing repair estimates. Even the High Security Prison stares at a similar situation, with its AMC having lapsed. Compounding the problem, the lack of periodic maintenance has also hampered the surveillance infrastructure within prisons, as many CCTV cameras lack technical support. Further exposing prisons to more potential jailbreaks, boundary walls in certain facilities are crumbling, forcing prison superintendents fund makeshift repairs using their own funds. These challenges are particularly acute in ageing institutions built during the British era. The situation has been exacerbated by Kerala's ongoing fiscal crisis. The government had allocated ₹20 crore in the last State Budget for prison upgrades, despite proposals for nearly ₹100 crore being submitted. Half of the allocated amount was later slashed due to budgetary constraints, further straining prison resources. The Kerala Prisons and Correctional Services has now pinned its hopes on the decisions taken at a recent meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan that resolved to make electric fences fully operational in all major prisons. The prison authorities have also expedited the ongoing security audit of its correctional facilities. At present, the periodic assessment is complete in 39 prisons, with steps under way to conduct the exercise in the remaining 18. Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services Balram Kumar Upadhyay told The Hindu that a number of steps are being planned to enhance security measures. 'Electric fencing will be the top priority for all central prisons. In addition, we will soon install 340 more CCTV cameras across jails to strengthen the existing network of nearly 1,500 cameras,' he says. To improve night-time security, high-mast lighting has already been installed on five major prison complexes. 'We are looking into every aspect (of security vulnerabilities) after the incident. Security measures are being reassessed. We hope to implement the upgraded measures within a couple of months,' he says. Sources indicate that the Home department is also exploring new technologies, including motion-sensing surveillance systems. The possibility of partnering with start-ups to pilot motion sensors is also being explored to detect unauthorised movement and potential breaches.
