No trace of 7 escapees of Vadodara juvenile remand home

Vadodara, June 26 (UNI) Despite intensive search in and around the city, police have failed to trace out the seven inmates of a juvenile remand home who escaped early yesterday after attacking a security guard.

Apart from sounding an alert for security agencies across the state, police continued to raid the possible hideouts of the escapees and keep a constant watch on bus stops and railway stations in Vadodara and its neighbouring districts, but there was no trace of the seven, sources today said.

Of the 26 inmates put in the remand home located in Karelibaug, seven pounced on the 50-year-old security guard-cum-cook, Arvind Mohan Pandya, as he opened their room lock to allow one of the boys, Dinesh Yadav (16), to relieve him.

According to a complaint lodged with the Karelibaug police last night, the boys, who were in the age group of 12-16 years, mercilessly beat Pandya till he fell unconscious and then snatched the main door's key from him to escape from the remand home. Pandya was later admitted to the SSG hospital by house master Sailesh Solanki. This is the first such incident to be reported in the juvenile home since its inception in 1952.

Police said all the seven escapees had been identified. Dinesh Yadav(16), Saddam Pathan (14) and Annu Kadar Diwan (15) were belived to be the mastermind behind the escape plan, police added.

UNI SS ADG SHB ND1530