Murder convict, hailing from Tamil Nadu, escapes from Kerala jail

Thiruvananthapuram: A 48-year-old convict hailing from Tamil Nadu escaped from the Central Prison at Poojappura here on Tuesday, police said.

The inmate, identified as Jahir Hussain, a native of Thoothukudi in the neighbouring state, was found missing from the jail campus since this morning.

Imprisoned for life in a murder case reported in the state capital, Hussain had been lodged in the central prison since 2017.

"He was brought out from the prison cell as part of the inmates' routine work. He was suspected to have escaped between 7.00-9.00 am," a jail official told PTI.

The prison department and the local police launched a massive manhunt in the city and outskirts to trace the absconding inmate.