Convict Govindachamy rearrested six hours after escaping from Kannur Central Jail
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Kannur: Six hours after he escaped from the high-security Kannur Central Jail, life convict Govindachamy, also known as Charley Thomas was arrested by the police near Talap in Kannur town on the morning of Friday, July 25.
Govindachamy, who was serving a life sentence for the 2011 rape and murder of a 23-year-old woman in Kerala, was found hiding in the well of an abandoned house in Talap, about three kilometres from the jail. Local residents alerted the police after spotting him. Several witnesses said they recognised him from television and online reports and saw him jumping off a wall and running through the area.
The jailbreak reportedly happened between 4.15 am and 6.30 am. Police sources said he managed to slip out of the jail unnoticed and was captured on CCTV walking along a busy road, dressed in a white shirt and black pants. He was seen carrying a pile of clothes on his head, likely to hide his disabled left hand. At the time of his escape, his appearance matched the description shared by the police: a bearded man in white shirt and black trousers.
Following the escape, the police launched a widespread search across Kerala. Checks were intensified at bus terminals and railway stations, while CCTV footage was examined from various points around the jail. Additional forces were deployed in Kannur town to speed up the search. The escape triggered concern, considering the convict’s criminal background and the security setup of the jail.
Director General of Police (Prisons) Balram Kumar Upadhyay confirmed that a probe has been ordered into the incident. A Deputy Inspector General of Police has been assigned to investigate how the escape took place under such tight security.
Govindachamy was convicted in one of Kerala’s most shocking crimes in recent memory. On February 1, 2011, a 23-year-old saleswoman from Thrissur was travelling alone in the ladies’ compartment of the Ernakulam-Shoranur passenger train. Govindachamy, who was known for frequenting trains to beg, entered the compartment, attacked her, and robbed her. He then pushed her off the moving train and dragged her into a forested area near Vallathol railway station, where he raped and brutally assaulted her.
The young woman was found critically injured and unconscious, and despite medical efforts, she died five days later at the Thrissur Government Medical College Hospital.
In October 2011, a fast-track court in Thrissur sentenced Govindachamy to death for rape and murder. The Kerala High Court later upheld the verdict. However, the Supreme Court in 2016 commuted the death sentence to life imprisonment, stating that there was insufficient evidence to prove that the victim was pushed off the train.
Since then, Govindachamy had been lodged in Kannur Central Jail.
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Afzalpur: KSRTC bus veers off road into field, no injuries reported
Afzalpur: A KSRTC bus veered off the road into a field near RMS School in Atanur village today. No injuries were reported.
The bus was travelling from Afzalpur to Kalaburagi when the incident occurred. The driver managed to bring the vehicle under control and safely stop it, preventing any damage or injuries.
According to Transport Unit Manager A.V. Bhovi, the road at the spot was narrow and there was a risk from an oncoming vehicle.
“The driver steered the bus to the side as a precaution. No damage was caused, and there is no need for the public to panic,” he said.
