22 escape from Jaipur correctional home
Twenty-two juveniles escaped from a correctional home in Jaipur early on Monday by breaking the grill of a window at the store room, police said.
Police have detained one escapee along with a guard of the jail for his alleged involvement.
“Prima facie it was preplanned and the people from the jail management including the guards are probably involved in it. We are also probing whether any outsiders assisted them,” said Gyan Chand Yadav, deputy commissioner of police in Jaipur (East).
According to the jail officials, the incident came to the fore on Monday morning during the counting of the heads of the prisoners.
“During the count we found 22 were missing following which the nearby Transport Nagar police was immediately informed. They probably escaped between 3 am and 5 am as other guards on night duty confirmed that they were in the room even at 2 am during the last check,” said Manoj Kumar, the superintendent of the Transport Nagar-based child correctional home.
The DCP said the accused broke a grill of the window of a store room located at the backside of the home and also an adjacent area of a government asylum.
“The grill was broken by using a gas cutter. However, it is also possible that the job was done two days back as the guards didn’t let the police check the store room during our regular inspection on Saturday,” said Yadav.
The 22 teens escaped the place through the exit gate of the asylum. “However, a parent later handed over his son to the police when he reached home in the morning. We have detained him for questioning,” said Yadav.
The 22 escapees include nine facing charges of rape and molestation while many of them also have cases of murder, robbery, theft, and brawl against their names, said police.
Following the incident, Jaipur police commissioner Biju George Joseph, DCP Yadav, and the SHO of the local Transport Nagar police station Zulfiqar reached the spot for investigation. “We have sent six police teams to different areas to search the residences of the accused. CCTV footages are also being checked. Further probe is on,” said Yadav.