Juveniles chalked out an ingenious escape plan
Plot hatched by inmates facing serious charges such as murder, rioting
CHANDIGARH: It was around 6.30pm on Monday inside the dimly lit dining area of Hisar observation home and the 97 juvenile inmates were unusually quiet during the evening meal.
The dinner deadline was over and the sentry was about to unlock the mini iron gate for inmates to go back to the barracks in a single file.
Everything was business as usual, except the missing giggles and clamour of the inmates, who are in their teens. Much before the gate was to be opened, over two dozen inmates armed with blunt weapons such as sticks and sharp edged utensils had taken positions near the gate, according to officials, who spoke to the injured guards and inmates after the daring Monday night escape.
In an audacious act, 17 juvenile undertrials had escaped from the Hisar observation home after overpowering three guards on duty. While nine of the 17 inmates who ran away face murder charges, three are facing attempt to murder cases, two were booked under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and two others face theft and a rioting case. Eight of them belong to Jhajjar district, two each are from Rohtak, Hisar and Delhi and one each from Bhiwani, Dadri and Karnal.
Sources say when the unsuspecting sentry opened the mini gate and stepped inside the dining area, the inmates were already hiding themselves along the imposing walls and hit the guard in the head with a blunt weapon. The sentry fell unconscious and suffered head injuries.“The first guard has got nine stitches in the head,” the sources say. The inmates knew the first guard on duty carried the key to the main gate. The juveniles took out the key from the pocket of this guard, who was lying on the ground and bleeding.
Noticing the melee, the second sentry rushed towards the spot. However, the emboldened inmates silenced him with sticks and some other blunt weapons.
The second guard too suffered head injuries and is recovering in a hospital with eight stitches in the head. By the time last and the third guard realised what was happening, the inmates on the run had already opened the lock on the front gate of the observation home, officials say.
The superintendent of the observation home, who stays nearby, was entering his house when the inmates were fleeing. “The superintendent has said that he drove his car back in high speed and chased the inmates. Some of the juveniles went back fearing being run over by the speeding car. To stop the others, he blocked the main gate by parking his car in front of it,” the sources say. They say that the number of escapees could have been more if the head of observation home failed to come back.
Sources say as per the initial investigation, it was a well planned escape by the inmates, who had collected blunt objects like wipers, wooden planks from windows and utensils. The plot was hatched by inmates facing murder charges and who are in the age bracket of 17-18 years.
“During inspection on Tuesday, some juveniles above 18 years were shifted to other places. How can three guards deal with 97 inmates?,” the official said, adding “We need good psychologists to counsel and reform these juveniles.”