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Three of the 17 Hisar juvenile undertrials who fled observation homes found, efforts on to catch rest
Eight of the inmates face charges of murder, while three are booked for attempt to murder, two under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and four face other charges.
A day after 17 juvenile undertrials, including eight booked for murder, escaped from an observation home in Hisar after attacking three guards, police rounded up three of them on Tuesday.
One of the inmates was caught near Chaudhriwas village and the other from Talwandi Rana village, both in Hisar district, while the third juvenile’s arrest location was not shared by the police.
“Efforts are on to catch the rest. The inmates had fled at 6.40pm on Monday after thrashing three security guards with rods. The incident took place when the inmates were brought to the compound for dinner. They thrashed the guards for 10 minutes before snatching the keys of the main gate and fleeing into the adjoining forest,” a police official said.
Police forms 15 teams to catch the inmates
Hisar superintendent of police Balwan Singh Rana said 15 teams have been formed to look for them. Police in other districts have been alerted. “I urge people not to give a lift to any suspicious person and alert us. Police have been deployed at all nakas and toll plazas in the district to check vehicles,” he said.
Hisar observation home houses 97 inmates
A senior official of the observation home said there were 97 inmates in the home when the incident took place. “Six guards were on duty at the time. Three of them were injured and have been hospitalised in Hisar,” he said.
Nine of the juveniles who escaped face charges of murder, while three are booked for attempt to murder, two under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, two face loot and robbery offence while one was booked for rioting in Jhajjar.
“Eight of them belong to Jhajjar district, two each from Rohtak, Hisar and Delhi and one each from Bhiwani, Dadri and Karnal. Eight of the inmates were uncooperative and rowdy,” the official said.
In January 2017, six juveniles had escaped from the home when an employee was opening barracks to provide water campers to inmates after dinner.
Hisar deputy commissioner Priyanka Soni visited the observation home along with other administrative and senior police officials. Soni said a three-member team, led by additional deputy commissioner Aneesh Yadav, has been formed to investigate the case.
“This team will probe how the juveniles managed to flee the home amid tight security. Teams have been formed to arrest the inmates at the earliest,” the DC added.
HSCPCR commission chairperson Bainda inspects home
Haryana state commission for protection of child rights (HSCPCR) chairperson Jyoti Bainda on Tuesday inspected the home. She said the actual reasons behind the incident will be known after a thorough probe.
“The details of each and every juvenile will be checked. We will check the roster system of the observation home. Strict action will be taken if negligence is found on the part of security,” she added.
An earlier inspection was deferred due to Covid-19 as some inmates had contracted the infection. In March, the observation home had 126 inmates and some of them were given bail after they tested positive for Covid -19, a source from the home said.