Thiruvananthapuram — A senior prison officer in Kerala has been suspended after giving a television interview about the sensational jailbreak attempt by Govindachamy, the convict in the Soumya murder case. The officer, identified as Sathar, faced disciplinary action for comments that reportedly tarnished the image of the Prisons Department and affected staff morale.
The suspension order, issued by Deputy Inspector General of Prisons Dinesh B, stated that Sathar’s statements in the interview were inappropriate and violated service conduct rules. The DIG noted that the interview, aired on a Malayalam news channel, portrayed the department in a negative light and created confusion regarding internal prison security protocols.
Govindachamy’s attempted jailbreak earlier this month had sparked a political and public uproar, raising questions about prison security lapses. In the wake of the incident, the department launched an internal probe, and the media coverage has been intense.
Sources within the department say the interview was not cleared through official channels, and Sathar did not have the authority to speak publicly on such a sensitive matter.
The suspension has triggered mixed reactions, with some officials defending the move as necessary for maintaining discipline, while others argue it reflects an attempt to suppress internal criticism amid a growing crisis of accountability within the prison system.
An official inquiry into the jailbreak incident is ongoing, and more disciplinary actions are expected in the coming days.
