Dantewada : Nine inmates of an observation home for minor boys, one of them facing murder charge, in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district escaped on Thursday after tying three staffers of the facility with ropes, including a home guard jawan, officials said.
The incident took place in the early hours at the observation home which is operating out of a rented building of the local municipality, they said.
In all, 19 minor inmates, in conflict with law and accused of various crimes, were lodged at the remand home, the officials said.
As per preliminary information, two inmates asked the caretaker to open the lock of their room on the pretext of going to the washroom. On the way back from the washroom, the two held the caretaker from his back and then seven others came out of the room in their support.
"All nine inmates tied the caretaker, a home guard jawan and another officer (posted there) with ropes, said Varun Nagesh, district programme officer of the women and child development department.
They then snatched the keys of the main gate's lock from them and escaped from the shelter home, he said.
Of the nine inmates, five are from neighbouring Sukma district and two each from Dantewada and Bijapur districts. Two of the five inmates from Sukma were accused of being involved in Naxal-related incidents, while one of the inmates from Dantewada was booked in a murder case. The remaining boys who escaped were accused in theft and other criminal cases, he said.
Police were immediately informed about the incident and efforts were on to trace them, Nagesh dded.
District Child Protection Officer Ravi Shankar Sanadya said the observation home had all required facilities but they were not at par with standards of a model child correctional home.
Earlier also, four inmates had escaped from the remand home but they were traced later, he added.
A new observation home has been constructed and it will be handed over to district authorities later this month, he said, adding the remand centre will have all necessary security measures.
Observation homes are facilities for temporary stay of minors in conflict with law during the pendency of any inquiry against him or her.