Two juveniles from the Children Correctional Home in Biratnagar have absconded from the facility, according to the administration. A 16-year-old boy from Koshi Rural Municipality-2 of Sunsari and another boy from Barahkshetra Municipality-11 escaped on August 20, as stated by Milan Chauhan, the Chief of the Children Correctional Home. The juveniles were placed in the facility following a court order after a legal dispute.
Chief Chauhan informed that the escaped child from Koshi Rural Municipality-2 of Sunsari had been ordered to the correctional home on January 30, 2023, on charges of killing and robbery, with the court ruling a sentence of 12 years and 6 months imprisonment. Similarly, the court ordered the child from Barahkshetra Municipality-11 to be sent to the correctional facility for pre-trial detention in a rape case on July 12, 2024. Chauhan said that the juveniles absconded on August 20 around 3:00 p.m. It is reported that both of them escaped by climbing over the wall when extracurricular activities were going on in the school inside the correctional facility.The correctional home provides education to the juveniles through Dipjyoti Secondary School within the facility. Every Tuesday, they participate in extracurricular activities that include entertainment.
Every Tuesday is ‘Book Free Day’ inside the correctional facility, featuring extra activities where residents showcase their talents. “However, during the entertainment program on August 20, the juveniles escaped by climbing over the facility’s wall. DSP Gyanendra Bahadur Basnet of the District Police Office has stated that the search for the juveniles has been intensified with full coordination.
The correctional home is overcrowded and houses juveniles more than its capacity. There are currently 238 individuals, though its capacity is only 50. Additionally, there are 124 adults over the age of 18 in the facility.