27 escape from juvenile home in Odisha

Bhubaneswar, May 27 (IANS) At least 27 inmates escaped from a state-run juvenile home in Odisha's Ganjam district after assaulting its superintendent and other staff, an official said Tuesday.

The delinquents attacked with wood planks and vegetable cutters four personnel, including superintendent S.K. Mohanty, Monday evening at the juvenile home in Berhampur town, 180 km from state capital Bhubaneswar, and fled.

"They had also made similar attacks on the staff a number of times in the past," care-taker K.P. Pati told IANS.

"They attacked us so that they could escape. I do not think there was any other reason behind this incident," he said.

The juvenile home has 84 juveniles implicated in various cases, including rape, murder, and dacoity, he said.

Five of the escaped inmates were later nabbed. Efforts are on to locate other runaway delinquents, he said.