Soumya murder case: Govindachamy breaks prison escapes from Kannur central jail; caught hours later

Govindaswamy, who is serving a life sentence for the 2011 Soumya murder case, briefly escaped from Kannur Central Jail, a high-security facility, on Friday morning. He was captured by police after several hours on the run.

"The 41-year-old Govindachamy, who is missing his left hand, was caught from a well near a derelict building in Thalap, within Kannur city limits," a senior district police officer stated.

Television visuals showed the convict hiding inside a well near the abandoned building. Following his escape, police launched a search operation with the help of a sniffer dog.


Local residents also pitched in after several people claimed to have seen the fugitive in Kannur city earlier that day. Acting on these tips, the police conducted a thorough search and successfully apprehended him.

The officers, according to CCTV footage from the prison, Govindachamy escaped sometime between 4:15 am and 6:30 am, using a rope fashioned from pieces of clothing to scale the compound wall.

Following his capture, the Superintendent of Police (SP) stated that Govindachamy had planned the escape well in advance, and authorities would be investigating whether he received any assistance from within the prison.

The victim, a 23-year-old saleswoman, was travelling from Kochi to Shoranur by train. She had shifted to a general compartment at Vallathol Nagar station, where Govindachamy boarded the same coach as the train departed. He later attacked, raped, and murdered her. Following a police investigation, he was apprehended and sentenced to life imprisonment.

The prison break has raised serious questions about jail security, and efforts are underway to recapture the escaped convict as soon as possible.