Thu May 08 17:14:42 UTC 2025: ## Daring Escape: 43 LTTE Militants Tunnel Out of Vellore Fort
**Chennai, May 8, 2025** – A daring escape of 43 Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) militants from a heavily guarded Vellore Fort camp in August 1995 has been recounted in a recent article by The Hindu. The militants, including four women, dug a 153-foot-long tunnel from a bathroom in the Tippu Mahal to the moat, evading the five watchtowers and two companies of Central Reserve Police Force guarding the facility.
The escape was discovered after police encounters in Chennai on August 15, 1995, involving cyanide capsules and resulting in the death of one militant. Further investigation revealed the connection to the Vellore escape. Two batches of six militants escaped on August 13, with another group of 11 escaping after midnight on August 14. The remaining militants fled subsequently.
The audacious escape prompted immediate action from then Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, who suspended the Superintendent of Police of North Arcot-Ambedkar district and officers responsible for camp security. A judicial inquiry was launched, and a reward was offered for information leading to the recapture of the fugitives. While this was not the first escape from the Vellore Fort, it was the first time militants had successfully used a tunnel, raising questions about security lapses.
The tunnel, described as having a narrow entry point and a larger exit, was later inspected by journalists, though access was initially restricted. The escape highlighted the sophisticated planning and organization of the militants, who dispersed to various locations after escaping. Many of the escaped militants were eventually apprehended.
First Piper 