Four inmates escape from Hoshiarpur juvenile home

HOSHIARPUR : Four inmates escaped from the juvenile observation home in Ram Colony Camp on Monday night.

The authorities revealed that three of the escapees were facing murder trial.

They all were adults, the authorities said.

The inmates escaped by breaking the bars of the bathroom’s ventilator.

“They apparently used a sanitary pipe to break open the grill, said observation home superintendent Naresh Kumar.

A security guard and two caretakers of the social security and development department were on duty at the time of the incident, he said.

The incident took place around 9pm as all the 73 inmates had gone for dinner, which was served at 8.15pm.

“Other undertrials raised the alarm when they found four inmates missing,” the superintendent said.

“After verifying the count, we sounded the police. A search was launched around the premises but the inmates had escaped by then, added the superintendent, not ruling out involvement of other inmates in their escape.

Kumar said offenders were lodged at the juvenile home despite having crossed the age of 18, as per the provision of the Juvenile Justice Act which states that “place of safety” must be designated for children pending trial.

“There is no other space specifically earmarked for them, that’s why they cohabit juveniles,” the superintendent said.

Deputy superintendent of police (city) Satinder Chadha said the police were trying to nab the escapees.

Several such occurrences have taken place in the home in the past also.

In 2010, six inmates had fled from the juvenile home.

› They apparently used a sanitary pipe to break open the grill. NARESH KUMAR, observation home superintendent