Lapses emerge at RS Pura juvenile home after escape of three inmates
Jammu, Feb. 19 -- Even as five suspects have been detained in RS Pura's juvenile home escape by three men, including two Pakistanis, serious security and management lapses have emerged.
Ten inmates, out of the total 26 lodged in the juvenile home, were above the age of 18 years. The three who escaped were also above 18. Retired Director General of Police (DGP) Dr SP Vaid said that the trio was no longer juvenile and they should have been shifted.
"Seven among remaining 23 inmates in juvenile home are also above 18 years of age. In this context, juvenile justice board (JJB) had sent few communiques to the social welfare department to initiate process for shifting them to a safe and secured place," said people familiar with the development. The social welfare department has the administrative control of juvenile observation homes in J&K. The department had outsourced some components of the juvenile home to a private company.
A senior social welfare department officer said, "JJB had certainly sent communiques to shift inmates, who had attained age of 18 years and above and those involved in heinous crimes and fall between 16 to 18 years of age but we had no place of safety for them."
Since a place of safety has come up at Domana, we will be shifting all those who have attained 18 years of age, he added. As far as two Pakistani nationals were concerned, their repatriation file was being processed and the local youth (Gugga) had to face his trial within days, he informed.
Following the incident, commissioner secretary, social welfare department ordered a probe and has appointed managing director Nazim Zai Khan as its head. The department has also suspended superintendent of the juvenile home and also terminated two to three staff members engaged by a private company. "To whom the weapon (a Desi Katta) belonged and how it reached the juvenile home are also part of the investigation," he added.
Karanjit Singh, alias Gugga, of Dablehar village, with 11 FIRs registered against him, purportedly associated with Khauf Gang, had fired three to four rounds from a pistol on two cops on Monday evening before fleeing the facility with two Pakistani men. "Police has detained a youth Rahul Kumar of Suchetgarh to probe his role in facilitating the weapon to Gugga inside the juvenile home," said a police officer.
Both the Pakistani nationals were arrested on Tuesday near Ambala railway station in Haryana, while they were heading for Nepal, however, Gugga still remains at large. "However, his mother has been traced and is being questioned," he added.
The Pakistan nationals were identified as Mohammad Sonaullah, 20, of Muzaffarabad, Pakistan and Ahsan Anwar, 21 of Nankana Sahib, Pak Punjab. Anwar was detained in 2019 after infiltrating into Indian territory in Poonch district while Sanaullah was detained in 2021 from Keri sector along the LoC in Rajouri district.
Gugga was arrested along with nearly a dozen other accused in connection with the murder of rival gang leader Sumit Jandiyal alias 'Gataru' in the Jewel chowk area in January last year and was subsequently lodged in the juvenile home.
Six police personnel, including an assistant sub-inspector, have already been placed under suspension for dereliction of duty in connection with the incident.
"We have registered an FIR under sections 109 (attempt to murder), 132 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of duty), 262 (resisting, obstructing, or escaping from lawful custody), 307 (theft with preparation to cause death, hurt or restrain), 111 (organised crime) of the BNS and sections 3 and 25 under Arms Act (unauthorised possession, carriage, use of firearms) against the three accused," said a senior police officer. On Wednesday, police took the two Pakistani men to sub district hospital in RS Pura for a medical check up before shifting them to a police lock up in RS Pura police station....
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