Thiruvananthapuram, July 12 (BPNS)

A murder convict’s daring act to escape from jail has gone awry as he got trapped on a tree. The incident happened at Central Prison and Correctional Home, Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday. It was Subash, a resident of Kottayam, who tried to escape from the prison. According to prison personnel, Subash who climbed atop a tree fell to the safety net set by fire force personnel and was shifted to a hospital. He is said to be suffering from mental illness. It was in 2016 that Subash got sentenced to life imprisonment. For one and a half hours, police, prison and fire force personnel, and locals eagerly awaited under the tree, and finally, everyone heaved a sigh of relief.

“At first he tried to run outside from the jail compound. But he aborted the same after police personnel noticed the same. Then he tried to climb a wall but switched to climbing a tree as police and prison personnel gave chase. He climbed to the top and raised certain demands as the personnel tried to pacify him,” said a prison official.

One of the demands he raised was to meet his family. But his main demand was to set him free. It is said that he also asked to meet the judge who sentenced him.

According to police, he was first lodged at the Central Prison, Thiruvananthapuram but was shifted to Open Prison and Correctional Home, Thiruvananthapuram during the Covid outbreak. It was only three weeks ago that he was again sent to the Central Prison as it was doubted that he had a mental illness.

When he was atop the tree he threatened that he would push the personnel, who tried to rescue him, down. But as one of the branches in which he was standing broke, he fell.

Police said that a case will be registered against him for a prison break.