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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AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
