Through hole in wall, 4 flee juvenile home in Banswara

Jaipur: Four minors managed to escape after drilling a hole through the wall of their room at the govt-run juvenile correction home in Banswara late Friday night. Before fleeing, the boys covered the CCTV camera in their room with a piece of cloth to prevent their actions from being recorded. Using a tool, they drilled a hole in the wall and then cut through the wire mesh before escaping, officials said.

Deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Banswara, Gopichand Meena, told TOI that the four minors were being held in criminal cases including sexual assault, theft and robbery. The incident came to light Saturday morning when staff at the correction home noticed the empty room and discovered the hole in the wall. The matter was immediately reported to the home administration and local police.

DSP Meena said police teams were conducting raids in nearby areas and at places where the minors could possibly be hiding. However, several hours after the escape, there is still no trace of the boys.

The incident has exposed glaring loopholes in the security of the juvenile correction home. Questions are being raised about how the boys managed to carry out such an act without being detected through the night.

"We are probing how they got the tools used in digging up the hole in the wall and cutting the fencing wires," said the officer. Police are also investigating whether the minors received any help from outside during their escape.