Seventeen inmates escaped from Tamil Nadu’s Theni sub-jail late Monday night after allegedly faking a medical emergency to lure guards into their cell before attacking them. The incident left three prison personnel injured and triggered a major manhunt across neighbouring districts.

By Tuesday morning, police had arrested four of the escapees and launched a search for the remaining 13. Authorities also suspended nine jail personnel, including two head constables, in connection with the incident.

According to officials, all 17 inmates were lodged in the same cell when prison staff entered on Monday night following reports that one prisoner was suffering an epileptic seizure. The inmates allegedly attacked the guards before fleeing, injuring three personnel.

Tamil Nadu Law Minister Nirmal Kumar confirmed that one prisoner pretended to be unwell to lure the guards into the cell. "They were in the same block and enacted a drama as though someone had collapsed due to an epileptic seizure. They then attacked the warden and two others who went to check," he said. He added that four inmates had been arrested by Tuesday morning.

Police have intensified vehicle checks and established checkpoints at 16 locations in neighbouring Dindigul district. Dindigul Superintendent of Police S Jeyakumar confirmed the deployment to ANI.

Authorities in Dindigul, Madurai and Idukki have also been alerted. Police have circulated photographs of the escapees among officials to help identify and arrest them. Seventeen special teams are conducting search operations.

Thangapandi, a Grade II police personnel attached to the Theni district jail, suffered a head injury during the incident and was admitted to the Government Hospital at G Vilakku. Two other prison personnel sustained minor injuries, according to the police report.

Police have registered a case and continued combing operations to track down the remaining escapees.