CHENNAI: A 25-year-old remand prisoner, who escaped from police custody twice - first from a police station and later from the Coimbatore Central Prison premises has been arrested in the Sathyamangalam forest area of Erode district, according to a Maalaimalar report.
The accused, Raghavan, was traced by a special police team using drone cameras and arrested during a search operation at night.
He was subsequently brought to Coimbatore and handed over to the Racecourse police, who are investigating his escape.
Police have questioned Raghavan about how he reached Sathyamangalam after escaping. His statement has been recorded, and he was questioned for the second consecutive day today.
Police are expected to produce him before a court after the interrogation and are making arrangements to lodge him in prison under tight security.
Following his escape, six special teams were formed to track him down. The teams conducted searches in Erode and the Nilgiris districts, as well as in Karnataka and Kerala.
Police later received information that Raghavan was hiding in the Sathyamangalam forest area. A special team rushed to the location and used drone cameras to identify his whereabouts before surrounding and arresting him at night.
Raghavan (also known as Kozikaran), a resident of the Sri Lankan Tamil Rehabilitation Centre in the Bhavanisagar area of Sathyamangalam, has several cases, including robbery and theft, against him.
After being tracked down and arrested again on October 30, Raghavan briefly escaped from the Annur police station that evening before being chased down and caught, only to escape again at the prison gates hours later.
He was subsequently taken to Coimbatore Central Prison by four police personnel led by a sub-inspector.
While being taken inside the prison premises, Raghavan allegedly attacked the police personnel and escaped. The police registered a case in connection with the incident
The four police personnel who escorted him were also suspended for negligence.
This was his second escape in 24 hours and his third overall. He had earlier escaped from police custody in June 2026 while being taken to Bengaluru.