Govindachamy, also known as Charley Thomas in police records, was serving a life sentence for the rape of a 23-year-old woman in 2011.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
In a shocking lapse in prison security, Govindachamy, the convict in the 2011 rape and murder case of a 23-year-old woman, escaped from Kannur Central Jail in the early hours of Friday (July 25, 2025), prompting a statewide manhunt.
The jailbreak reportedly occurred around 1.15 a.m. Jail authorities discovered his absence only during routine checks later in the morning. The incident has raised serious concerns over surveillance lapses at one of Kerala’s most secure prisons. He was imprisoned in the fourth cell in the 10th Block.
Govindachamy, also known as Charley Thomas in police records, a resident of Karur in Tamil Nadu, was serving a life sentence for the rape of a 23-year-old woman, who died after being pushed out of a moving train and assaulted in February 2011.
The brutal case had triggered widespread outrage and calls for stronger measure to protect women.
Initially sentenced to death, Govindachamy’s punishment was later commuted by the Supreme Court, which upheld his life term for rape but reduced the murder charge to a seven-year sentence. His continued incarceration was due to the life sentence.
Despite having only one arm, he managed to escape from the high-security facility under unclear circumstances. Clothes tied together and tied over the wall were found in the jail. The jailbreak has prompted a flurry of activity among prison officials and state police, who have launched an intensive search operation.
Top police confirmed that all checkpoints have been alerted and surveillance has been increased at transport hubs and border areas. Authorities are also probing possible lapses in the jail’s security infrastructure.
The incident has triggered political and public criticism, with demands for an inquiry into how such a high-profile convict managed to flee undetected.
Published – July 25, 2025 09:01 am IST