MADURAI: Seven offenders escaped from the Madurai Government Observation Home for Juveniles by breaking open a window, in the city on Saturday.
Sources said that there were 30 inmates at the facility on Friday night. The juveniles were undergoing corrective terms after being apprehended in connection with various crimes in various southern districts. The home was maintained by Madurai Children Aid Society, a non-governmental Organization (NGO).
The facility had recently been fortified after three police constables were deployed for guard duty. The measure was taken after the officials expressed apprehension that the inmates could escape from the home by breaking open the windows.
On Friday, there were five persons, including two private guards, on duty doing the night rounds. After the inmates finished the dinner, the authorities placed 12 inmates in a separate room. The room had a window protected by an iron grill.
However, late in the night, seven of the inmates used bed sheets to pull apart the grills. The teenagers managed to create a gap big enough for a person to sneak through and escaped one after the other, said M Palaniappan, honorary secretary of the NGO.
The matter came to light only on Saturday morning when the officials made a head count of the inmates at the home. Though there were 12 inmates in the room at the time of the incident, five decided not to throw in their lot with the others, officials said. However, the five teenagers also did not raise an alarm.
Immediately, the officials lodged a complaint with the Teppakulam police, who registered a case and launched a search for the boys.
Meanwhile, sources said that in view of the incident, three constables have been posted additionally on guard duty.
The escapees were identified as Srinivasa Perumal, Divakar, Muniyandi, Prasanth, Ajith Kumar, Akshay and Arun Kumar.