VELLORE: Forth three LTTE members, including four women, made a daring escape from the Vellore high security special camp last week.
However, nine of them who arrived at the Madras Egmore railway station ‘were nabbed by Government Railway Police within hours of the escape to victory aided by torrential downpour and power failure, Two of them committed suicide by swallowing ‘Cyanide capsule. In this second successful escape from the camp, the inmates had crawled through a 153foot long, tunnel dug below the 20 foot tall wall surrounding the historic Vellore Fort and reached the moat. They had to swim across the 50foot wide moat filled ‘with 10foot deep water and reached the road, The escape was noticed around 8:00 am, by jail authorities following formation from Madras when one of the escapees was caught near Mambalam.
The camp, called the Tippu Mahal inside the Police Recruits School in the fort was housing 77 militants before the escape. The camp was set up ‘on December 13, 1990 and had been housing around 200 militants on January 12, 1991, the militants in a riot, caught hold of two police personnel, including a woman constable, and) held them hostage. They also tried to break open the main gate, but the attempt was foiled after the police opened fire, In the firing a militant was Killed. Following this incident, 33 militants were detained under the National Security Act and lodged in the Sangagiri Jail in Salem district. ‘On November 16, 1992, 19 militants scaled the wall with the help of a long rope and escaped. While police nabbed four escapees, eight surrendered later and seven are at large.
A year ago the group at the Tippu Mahal had manufactured a crude bomb with the help of explosives collected from refugees lodged at Hyder Mahal. ‘The group had used crude tools such as window rods, steel pipes and even a fork for digging the tunnel.
An armed reserve police constable, who was instrumental in the capture of nine of the LTTE militants, has been rewarded with promotion by two grades.
Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Ms. Jayalalitha, has ordered a judicial inquiry into the escape of 44.
LTTE members from the Vellore Special Camp. The Chief Justice of the Madras High Court has been asked to recommend a Judge for holding the inquiry, an official press release said here.
Article extracted from this publication >> August 25, 1995
