Authorities in Kerala have mobilized a comprehensive manhunt following the audacious escape of Balamurugan, a hardened criminal from Tamil Nadu, who slipped away from custody near Viyyur Central Jail in Thrissur on Monday night. The fugitive, facing over 50 grave charges spanning thefts, assaults, and even murder across Kerala and Tamil Nadu, vanished during a routine transfer back to the high-security facility after court proceedings in Virudhunagar, exposing potential lapses in escort protocols and reigniting concerns over prisoner handling.

Balamurugan, who has been incarcerated at Viyyur since September 2023 following his recapture from a prior jailbreak, exploited a momentary lapse in security during the journey. Tamil Nadu police, transporting him after legal formalities, had stopped at a roadside hotel to provide him with food, at which point his handcuffs were removed—a decision that proved fateful. As the convoy approached the jail premises, approximately one and a half kilometers from the main gate, the officers allowed him a brief stop to relieve himself, but he seized the opportunity to shove open the van door and sprint into the shadows, leaving his escorts stunned.

This isn't Balamurugan's first rodeo in outwitting law enforcement; the repeat offender orchestrated a strikingly similar escape just a year earlier by attacking a sub-inspector during a restroom break in Tamil Nadu custody, only to be recaptured within days by Kerala police. His history of violent breakouts and involvement in at least 53 documented cases, including brutal robberies in areas like Marayur, has led investigators to suspect he may have external aid or a pre-planned route. Dressed in a simple vest and dhoti at the time of flight, he's believed to be heading toward border regions, potentially commandeering a two-wheeler or vehicle to accelerate his getaway.

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In response, Kerala Police have collaborated seamlessly with their Tamil Nadu counterparts, ramping up checkpoints and surveillance across Thrissur and adjacent districts, while combing through CCTV footage from nearby roads and the jail perimeter. The escorting Tamil Nadu team has undergone rigorous questioning, with their accounts revealing the unchained meal stop as the critical vulnerability; only one officer accompanied him outside the vehicle, a detail now under intense scrutiny. Local stations have been placed on high alert, with descriptions circulated to prevent him from blending into migrant worker crowds or rural hideouts.

As the search intensifies into its second day, this high-profile evasion underscores broader challenges in interstate prisoner transfers and jail security, prompting calls for stricter handcuff protocols and real-time tracking devices. Balamurugan's elusiveness not only heightens public safety risks in the region but also serves as a stark reminder of the relentless cat-and-mouse game between determined criminals and an overstretched law enforcement apparatus, with recapture efforts poised to span multiple states in the days ahead.

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