For 52-year-old Gnanaprakasam of Chennai, jail meant home. A roof over his head, three meals a day on time and friends for company meant everything to Gnanaprakasam who was lodged in Puzhal jail for theft in March.

Things, however, took a turn after he was released on bail.

Missing his jail friends and prison food, Gnanaprakasam stole a bike, petrol from parked vehicles, deliberately flashed his face in front of CCTV cameras just so that he is arrested again.

All for the prison life.

He wasn’t very happy to be home as his family members did not take care of him, Tambaram assistant commissioner of police P Asokan was quoted as saying by The Times of India.

He told police that unlike home, there was nobody who called him lazy in jail. He said besides food, he was missing his friends in jail.

After being arrested for theft in March, Gnanaprakasam was released after three months on bail on June 29.

Gnanaprakasam told police life wasn’t easy after he was released. My wife and children were always abusing me, a police officer quoted him as saying after his second arrest on Tuesday, TOI reported.

And so he decided to return -- for better friends and food.

As per the daily, Gnanaprakasam told police that he left home thinking of a way to return to the prison.

He stole a bike from Kailasapuram First Street in West Tambaram. He made sure that a CCTV camera caught him in the act and started roaming the city. Whenever the bike ran out of fuel, he stole petrol from vehicles parked on the road, his statement read.

He was, however, caught stealing petrol from a bike near Tambaram following which people handed him over to police.

During police interrogation, the accused claimed that he had stolen not just petrol but also the bike. He also told police about his desperate acts to get arrested.

In what seemed like a happy ending, Gnanaprakasam has been sent back to Puzhal jail.

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