Grade II Police Officer Thangapandi sustained a head injury while confronting the inmates, and two other officers suffered minor wounds, prompting an immediate medical response at the Government Hospital in G Vilakku.
S Jeyakumar, Dindigul Superintendent of Police, confirmed that 16 checkpoints were erected across the district to block escape routes, a measure aimed at preventing further breaches.
The 17 special teams, each manned by trained personnel, are combing through villages and forested areas to locate the remaining escapees, according to a police briefing.
Police in Idukki, Madurai and Dindigul received the incident brief and are sharing images of the fugitives with law enforcement officials statewide, a move intended to aid identification.
An official case has been registered under the Theni Police Act, and the investigation is ongoing, with forensic teams collecting evidence from the cell and surrounding perimeter.
The search is expected to intensify over the next 48 hours, with a possible raid on a suspected hideout in the outskirts of Theni, as authorities prepare for a coordinated operation.