There have been numerous escapes from the protective home at Merces, and except of making a few recommendations every time an escape takes place, the government does little to ensure that the inmates will not be able to make a dash for the open streets again in the future.
Monday night’s escape of nine women, six of them being foreign nationals, showed just how easy it is to escape from Apna Ghar. All the women did was over power the lady escort who had gone to call them for dinner, took the keys from her, opened the front gate, assaulted the lady constable on duty and vanished into the darkness. Though the police investigating the escape suspect that it was a well planned move, the manner in which it all happened belies this suspicion. The only planning that could have been involved is the possibility of having a getaway vehicle in the vicinity. While this has not been established, all six foreign nationals who escaped are yet to be caught, which indicates that some outside help could have been involved. If that is established, then it gives rise to the question of how was there communication between the inmates and those outside. That is another point for the investigating authorities to probe.
As has been done every time there is an escape from Apna Ghar, the government authorities wake up only to make a few recommendations or issue instructions before quickly returning to their slumber. In a move akin to bolting the stable doors after the horses have fled, the concerned minister, has now ordered an enquiry into the escape and said that arrangements will be made to ensure that such escapes do not happen again. These, as usual by the government, are kneejerk reactions that may not necessarily prevent escapes in the future. What the protective home needs is a revamp of the system and the manner in which it is operating.
That security at Apna Ghar is sloppy is known and can be borne out by the number of escapes from the protective home over the years. The report of the one-man committee set up in 2012 to investigate the repeated acts of violence at the home had also stated that security at the home was lax and had even found gas cutters in the premises. As an outcome of the report the height of the compound wall was raised. That, however, has not put an end to the escapes as in the latest break out, the women simply overpowered the escort and the constable to make their way out of the home. There was no need to climb the walls of the property to escape. Cosmetic changes will not help change the situation at the home.
The government, therefore, needs to look deeper into Apna Ghar. In the past, the home has seen not only escapes, but violence, especially among the juveniles and has invited criticism for its functioning from child rights groups and others. Apna Ghar is primarily a children’s home set up under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000. The Act relates to juveniles in conflict with the law and children in need of care and protection. It is quite evident that the home is not fulfilling its aims and so needs a complete overhaul that cannot be delayed. The reform home itself needs reform if it is to meet the objectives for which it was set up. For this to happen the government needs to take up the home’s functioning rather than merely the security issues.
