Convict escapes from police custody near Perundurai
A convicted individual escaped from police custody near Perundurai, Tamil Nadu, while being transported back to prison. Local police have launched a search operation involving over 50 personnel to locate the fugitive.
Why it matters
The incident raises questions regarding police transport protocols and public safety in the Erode district.
A convict escaped from police custody near Perundurai in Erode district late on Tuesday (July 21, 2026) after allegedly pushing aside escort personnel when they stopped for a tea break on the Salem-Coimbatore National Highway.
The police identified the convict as R. Naresh alias Naresh Kumar (32) of Kadayampatti in Omalur taluk, Salem district. He was convicted in connection with a 2020 case registered by the Salem Government Hospital Police Station under Sections 353, 270, 224 and 506(ii) of the Indian Penal Code.
According to the police, Naresh was brought from the Coimbatore Central Prison to a court in Salem by an escort team comprising Special Sub-Inspectors Govindasamy and Subramanian, Head Constable Jegatheesan and driver Ilayaperumal. After the court sentenced him in the case, the team was escorting him back to the Coimbatore Central Prison.
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