Juveniles lodged in Chengalpattu home try to electrocute rivals
CHENNAI: A deadly clash between two groups of students at the Chengalpattu Juvenile Correctional Home on Wednesday, saw one group of students attempting to electrocute another group of 25 students who were undergoing a medical examination. The incident, which resulted in a power outage and a lockdown at the home, saw student groups using whatever objects they could find, including stones, sticks, and broken glass to attack each other.
According to police, on Wednesday, during a regular medical check-up, all 25 children of A block were made to sit in a hall and when children from the other block locked the door from outside, poured water onto the floor and tried to pass electric current through the water. The security officers who noticed the incident turned off the power supply but the student groups turned to attacking each other.
Sources said the two groups had a history of clashes, and the situation had been tense for some time. The students involved in the clash were aged between 18 and 25, and some had been transferred from regular prisons to the correctional home.
When Chengalpattu Town police arrived at the spot, the children went to their respective blocks and locked themselves inside. They further threatened to harm themselves if the police tried to intervene. Later, the revenue officials visited the home and along with police held peace talks with the inmates and brought the situation under control. Police said fans, tables, chairs, and windows worth Rs 1 lakh were damaged in the clash.
The Chengalpattu Juvenile Correctional Home has a history of violent incidents with similar clashes occurring in the past. The home has a total of 21 staff members, including seven security guards and 14 teachers, who are divided into three shifts.
Groups took to whatever objects they could find, including stones, sticks, and broken glass to attack each other