OLD GOA: Old Goa woke up to some literal breaking news on Liberation day morning. Sixteen Apna Ghar inmates, decided stage their own version of ‘liberation’ by going on an absolute rampage in their institution, breaking and destroying furniture’s, fixtures and electronic equipment and then fleeing the premises, while staff members quaked in fear. Five of them were apprehended by the Old Goa police at Chimbel while the others a still at large
14 boys and two girls escaped after inflicting damage to the institution- a home for children in conflict with the law and rescued women and children- after the flag hoisting ceremony to commemorate Liberation Day. The police took around 45 minutes to reach the spot.
Five of the inmates were later apprehended and sent back at Apna Ghar.
Apna Ghar Deputy Director (Administration) Sripad Arlekar, who had joined the government-run remand home just a week ago, said, “After the flag hoisting ceremony, the inmates were taken inside their rooms when they suddenly turned violent. The inmates, including 14 boys and 2 girls, armed with sticks, stones, rocks, etc went on a rampage, damaging offices and equipment. The mayhem continued for two hours, from 9 am to 11 am. The approximate loss could be in the region of Rs 20-25 lakh.”
Some staffers said that one of the inmates even threatened them with a kitchen knife. The 16 inmates escaped after climbing over the wall with the help of a bedsheet.
“I visited the site. There was wanton destruction of public property,” John Nazareth GGEA general secretary said, adding that staff at the home are afraid of the inmates.
The two policemen who were posted at Apna Ghar and who followed the inmates, as they escaped, were threatened by the inmates who pelted them with stones.
The Old Goa police led by Police Sub Inspector Sagun Sawant reached the site only after the escape and began combing operations. At around 12 noon five of the inmates were traced near the military campus, Chimbel and were brought back to the Apna Ghar by Police Inspector Krishna Sinari and team.
The inmates damaged offices of the deputy director of administration and superintendent-cum-probation officer. The other rooms which were targeted also included the administration staff office room, child welfare committee offices of north and south, non-dietary room and a washroom. Furniture in seven rooms was damaged along with computers, printers, tube lights, window panes, electrical fans, fixtures, telephones. The loss is estimated at around Rs 20-25 lakh. The inmates also destroyed documents from the child welfare committee offices.
PAST INCIDENTS
Between 2009 and 2012, in 14 cases 46 inmates of Apna Ghar have escaped, Women and Child Development Minister Dilip Parulekar had told the Assembly.
The facility had hit the headlines after inquiry showed that local gangsters were allegedly smuggling children from there and using them to commit robberies and even murder.
In April 2014 there were two incidents with six inmates escaping from the State-run institution. Three girls and three boys jumped over the compound wall to escape through the bushes at around 6 am.
A few days before that a 17-year-old boy had threatened to jump from the second floor roof of the facility and had hurled roof tiles at officials of the Women and Child department.
