26 of 33 escapees from Kellys’ home nabbed

The boys, sent to the home after being arrested for several offences committed under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), clashed with another group of inmates inside the home and escaped in the ensuing confusion. Several inmates suffered injuries in the clash, which also saw some of them pelting stones at each other. By the time the police reacted to reports of the clash, many of the boys had managed to run away. 

The unrest began on Sunday night when the children reportedly carried out a protest on the terrace of the building demanding good facilities and better accommodation, but hey were pacified. On Monday the clashes started again and during the melee, many children scaled the wall and escaped. 

The authorities allegedly failed to contain the violence that had been brewing. The parents of some of were a worried lot. “My son is missing and nobody at the home has any answer. They simply chase us away when we ask for information,” said a teary-eyed woman.

However, police managed to trace 26 of the escapees from different parts of the city and a hunt is on for the remaining seven missing. According to sources, more than 65 boys were kept in one room at the home and many were depressed over their living conditions.

“There are no proper facilities and the children have been handled very badly. They are all very depressed and get angry for the smallest of things. So some trouble between the inmates flared up and children started attacking each other,” a police official told DT Next. 

Sources said earlier the children were kept in two groups on two floors and recently both the groups had been made to stay together, cramped in one room. “The role of police ends with the arrest of these children when they commit the crime. The home is managed by the Social Defence Department and even the security arrangements are handled by them,” the official added.