A life convict escaped from the Poojappura Central Prison on Tuesday allegedly after exploiting security lapses that have remained neglected for long.

Jahir Hussain, 48, a native of Tuticorin, who has been undergoing life imprisonment since 2017 for committing a murder under the Fort police station limits in 2004, was reported to have gone missing around 9 a.m.

The incident occurred after Jahir had been taken to a laundry area on the rear side of the prison premises along with another prisoner around 7.30 a.m. While a prison officer stood guard as the duo washed clothes, Jahir is suspected to have fled when the officer returned to the prison building after a while.

According to sources, the portion of the compound wall close to the laundry area has remained vulnerable to such jail breaks. While the wall adjacent to a laundry stone was barely four feet tall, the perimeter is exposed a short distance away owing to damaged construction.

The City police, which have launched a man hunt, suspected the convict to have escaped through one of the two vulnerable spots. He was seen as leaving the premises by workers of a cloth ironing shop and a tea stall nearby. Following his escape, Jahir allegedly changed his prison uniform for clothes that he had purportedly taken from the laundry area.

Later, he allegedly boarded an autorickshaw to reach Thycaud from where he is suspected to have walked till Thampanoor to get on a bus that was headed for Kaliyikkavila, the police said.

Considering the possibility of the convict attempting to return to his home town, the police have intensified surveillance on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border. The Tamil Nadu Police have also been alerted of the jail break.

Jahir had been jailed for murdering the owner of a jewellery shop, where he used to work, and stealing ornaments from the outlet. While several prisoners had been granted parole on account of COVID-19, Jahir has remained imprisoned.