Investigators in Coimbatore continued questioning a 25-year-old undertrial prisoner for the second straight day after he managed to flee police custody twice within a 24-hour window before being recaptured from the Sathyamangalam forest area in Erode district. The accused, identified as Raghavan alias Kozhikaran, is being interrogated by Race Course police personnel who are attempting to reconstruct how he breached surveillance at Coimbatore Central Prison and traveled undetected deep into the forested belt.
A core focus of the inquiry involves establishing whether Raghavan received external logistical assistance or shelter during his escape and subsequent movement across districts. Law enforcement personnel have recorded his preliminary statement while questioning continues to map the exact timeline, route, and support structure that enabled his evasion.
Massive Multi-State Search and Drone-Led Night Operation
Following the second escape, senior officials established six specialized police units dedicated entirely to locating the fugitive. The search initiative rapidly expanded beyond Erode and the Nilgiris districts to coordinate with authorities across interstate borders in Karnataka and Kerala, covering potential transit corridors and hideouts.
Upon gathering intelligence that Raghavan had taken cover inside the dense terrain of the Sathyamangalam forest tract, police teams intensified perimeter vigilance and deployed aerial drone cameras to pinpoint his exact coordinates beneath the forest canopy. Once his hideout was verified by drone surveillance, a coordinated nighttime raid cordoned off the sector, allowing the tactical team to close in and arrest him without further incident.
Pattern of Escapes and History of Criminal Offenses
Raghavan resides at the Sri Lankan Tamil Rehabilitation Centre located in Bhavanisagar within Erode district, and court records link him to multiple prior criminal cases including robbery and theft. His case file also reveals a recurring track record of attempting to slip away from law enforcement supervision.
In June 2026, he had managed to break away from an escorting team while being transported toward Bengaluru. In the most recent incident, police apprehended him on 30 October, but he slipped out of Annur police station that very evening. On that occasion, police teams pursued him immediately on foot and secured his arrest within a short timeframe.
Assault on Escort Officers and Administrative Suspensions
Later that same night, an escort party comprising four police personnel, led by a sub-inspector, transferred Raghavan to Coimbatore Central Prison for judicial remand. As the team escorted him into the prison grounds, Raghavan executed an abrupt physical assault against the officers guarding him and bolted into the surrounding darkness, triggering widespread emergency protocols across the complex.
Addressing the major security breakdown, department authorities issued immediate suspension orders against all four escorting personnel on grounds of procedural negligence. A separate criminal case was simultaneously registered regarding the escape and physical assault on duty officers. Investigators are currently reviewing the lapses in custodial transfer protocols to determine how the accused broke restraint while under armed watch. Once custodial interrogation concludes, authorities are scheduled to produce Raghavan before the jurisdictional court with recommendations for maximum security remand measures.
