NEW DELHI: A group broke out of the juvenile correctional home near
Delhi Gate
on Wednesday evening after attacking the security guards. Eleven youngsters overpowered the two guards, beat them up and fled in different directions. While one juvenile has been caught and a manhunt is under way to nab the other escapees, the guards have been admitted to a hospital.
On Wednesday evening, some juveniles were playing carrom in the refreshment room when they suddenly went on a rampage, breaking the carrom board and attacking the employees of the correctional home who were serving dinner at the time. They threatened other staff members of the home when they tried to bar their way.
The staff raised a hue and cry and hurried to close the institution’s gates. But the juveniles attacked the security guards and the personnel of the fifth battalion of
Delhi Police posted at the entry. They then fled the area after using the irons rods of the fencing to break open the lock on the main gate.
Sources disclosed that a total of four people, including the person in charge of security at the correctional home, suffered injuries in the attack. The injured guards and cops were taken to Lok Nayak Hospital and treated. Some of them were discharged after first aid.
Preliminary investigations have revealed that all the escapees are in the age group of 16 to 18 years and were repeat offenders sent to the correctional home for their involvement in petty crimes. Following the incident, the police contacted the parents of the absconding juveniles to determine the whereabouts of the missing delinquents.
One of the juveniles from north Delhi was caught before he could reach his residence and brought back to the correctional home. Efforts are on to trace the rest of the juveniles, according to a police officer.
The NGO that runs the correctional home later told the cops that prima facie, it appeared that the juveniles had planned the escape from the correctional home taking advantage of the social distancing made mandatory during the national anti-coronavirus lockdown.