Govindachamy alias Charley Thomas, the differently-abled man convicted for the rape and murder of a 23-year-old Kerala woman in 2011, has escaped from Kannur Central Prison. The Kerala police have launched a statewide hunt for him.
According to reports, Govindachamy escaped from prison around 1am on Friday, and visuals aired by regional media show a cloth hanging from one of the compound walls of the jail. Police suspect Govindachamy escaped from the prison by scaling the tall wall of the prison.
Kannur: 2011 Soumya rape and murder accused Govindachamy escapes from Kannur Central Jail.
— ANI (@ANI) July 25, 2025
Govindachamy was serving a life sentence for the rape and murder of 23-year-old Soumya, who was attacked while travelling on a passenger train from Ernakulam to Shoranur on February 1,… https://t.co/ccjOfbU5FC pic.twitter.com/Gz3jTdNySr
According to Manorama News, Govindachamy was lodged in a high-security cell in the prison and escaped by cutting through iron bars. Authorities said the convict tied clothes together as rope to climb the wall and escape from there. Govindachamy was reportedly wearing the prison uniform at the time of jumping out of prison. According to reports, jail authorities came to know about his escape only around 5am and state police were alerted only by 7.15am.
Kerala police has launched a helpline no and urged the public to contact them in 9446899506 if they spot Govindachamy. The police have also released the latest photo of the convict.
Speaking to Manorama News, the victim Soumya's mother alleged that the police helped Govindachamy escape from jail. She demanded that he be caught immediately and punished. She added that the court should have sentenced the habitual offender to death.
A habitual offender, Govindachamy hails from Virudhachalam in Tamil Nadu and has been facing charges in several theft cases around Salem. The differently-abled man was convicted for the rape and murder of 23-year-old Soumya in February 2011.
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Soumya, was a staff at one of the shopping malls in Kochi. On February 1, 2011, Govindachamy pushed Soumya out of a train while she was travelling alone in one of the coaches of a passenger train to Shornur. The victim was assaulted and pushed off from the train by Govindachamy. The convict also dragged the victim to a wooded area near the track at Vallathol Nagar and raped her. Soumya succumbed to injuries a few days later.
Govindachamy was sentenced to death by a fast-track court, and the Kerala High Court upheld the sentence. However, the Supreme Court commuted his death sentence to life, citing a lack of evidence to prove he was guilty of murder.
