The police have stepped up surveillance around the Government Mental Health Centre at Kuthiravattom after four inmates, including three accused in serious crimes, escaped from the facility on Wednesday night.
The Kasaba police said there were security personnel on duty when the incident happened. According to police sources, the four were found missing after supper. Three of them had been remanded in judicial custody on charges of serious crimes including murder and drug trafficking. It was on last Tuesday that they were brought to the Mental Health Centre for treatment, they said.
Policemen who are part of the special investigation squad said it was suspected to be a well-planned escape with some external support. They also said search was in full swing in the city and it would be tough for the gang to escape from the district.
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The District Jail authorities said they were yet to get any update about the incident. “The hospital authorities and the police are ultimately responsible for ensuring the security of the admitted patients. We don’t know how it happened even after they were locked inside a special cell,” a jail official said.
According to the Kasaba police, one of the four escapees was not involved in any crime. The Malappuram native was admitted to the Mental Health Centre with the support of local police as he had no relatives or family members to take care of his treatment.
More policemen from the Armed Reserve camp are likely to be deployed to ensure 24x7 monitoring of the centre.
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