Govindachamy spent around 45 days slowly cutting through the jail bars, concealing the damage with cloth to avoid detection. He claims an insider provided the blade, though he has refused to name the individual.
Kannur: Notorious rape and murder convict Govindachamy had planned his jailbreak with meticulous detail, including weight loss and weakening of the prison cell. The incident also exposed a major security breach, as the guard officer falsely reported that all prisoners were in their cells during the morning check—without conducting the check at all. A statewide manhunt was launched after he escaped prison and three hours later, he was arrested. Govindachamy was caught from a well he tried to hide in. Govindachamy was transferred to Viyyur High-Security Prison after evidence collection.
Jail chief ADGP Balram Kumar Upadhyay acknowledged that the escape was the result of careful planning by Govindachami and admitted there were shortcomings on the part of three officials, who were suspended. Govindachamy was serving a life sentence for the rape and murder of 23-year-old Soumya, who was attacked while travelling on a passenger train from Ernakulam to Shoranur on February 1, 2011.
How Govindachamy planned his 'Shawshank Redemption'
Govindachamy’s attempted jailbreak reads like a scene from The Shawshank Redemption—carefully planned, executed with stealth, and ultimately foiled by a twist of fate. The first sign of trouble came not from a security alert, but from a piece of cloth found hanging on the prison wall. This led to a second headcount, which confirmed that Govindachamy was missing—contradicting the initial report that all inmates were present. Shockingly, that report had been filed without a proper physical inspection, exposing a serious lapse in prison protocol.
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Further investigation has revealed disturbing oversights during Govindachamy’s imprisonment. Despite rules requiring weekly shaving and monthly haircuts, the convict was allowed to grow a beard—an apparent breach of prison norms that could have aided his disguise.
In a confession to authorities, Govindachamy admitted he had been planning the escape for over 45 days. He spent that time slowly cutting through the jail bars, concealing the damage with cloth to avoid detection. He claims an insider provided the blade, though he has refused to name the individual. Investigations are underway to identify possible helpers.
Once outside his cell, Govindachamy used milk cans and plastic drums to scale the prison wall, landing nearly 10 meters away on the national highway. From there, he trekked four kilometers toward Kannur, reaching Thalap. His run came to a halt when a local resident recognized him. Attempting to flee, he jumped over a wall and hid in an overgrown plot and then in a deserted hospital building. Eventually, he was found hiding inside a well near a central government office, surrounded by police and locals. He had planned to escape to Tamil Nadu. The jail authorities explained that the electric fencing had been inactive for a month.
According to reports, Govindachamy deliberately lost weight ahead of his escape by eating only chapatis. He had also allegedly pasted salt into the iron cells to melt it. The biggest question that remains is how did Govindachami, who has lost his right hand, escaped from a high-security cell of the central prison in Kerala. Investigation is underway.
