Pattukottai Sub-Jail remains shut for two years; activists seek merger with government hospital

The Pattukottai Sub Jail, a British era detention facility located in the heart of the town, has remained closed for two years because of its deteriorating structure and lack of safety standards

The Pattukottai Sub Jail, a British era detention facility located in the heart of the town, has remained closed for two years because of its deteriorating structure and lack of safety standards. Built over one acre, the prison was initially under the Revenue Department before being transferred to the Prison Department. However, its ageing and fragile infrastructure prompted officials to shut it down entirely.

Sources in the Prison Department said the jail was declared unfit for use due to structural vulnerabilities, and the search for a suitable site to build a new sub-jail is ongoing. Until then, undertrials from cases in the Pattukottai and Peravurani magistrate courts are being lodged at sub-jails in Pudukkottai or Papanasam.

Local activists have raised safety and land-use concerns regarding the abandoned jail structure. V. Veerasenan, president of the Nasuni Bed Dam Farmers’ Association, pointed out that the dilapidated jail building shares a wall with the Pattukottai Government Hospital. “The outer walls of the jail are weak and crumbling. There is a real risk of collapse, especially near the ICU block of the hospital. It poses a threat to patients and staff,” he said.

Mr. Veerasenan has urged the district administration to take over the disused sub-jail premises and integrate it into the adjoining government hospital premises. “The land could be used to expand medical facilities and construct new treatment blocks. It will serve a far more essential public purpose,” he added.