The police have so far apprehended seven of the 12 inmates who escaped from a Government Observation Home and Place of Safety at Athur near Chengalpattu on Sunday evening. The latest arrests happened in Coimbatore early on Tuesday, where six escapees were caught. The police had nabbed one at K.K. Nagar in Chennai on Monday. The search is on for the remaining five.

According to police sources, the inmates had allegedly planned the escape for nearly a week. During a movie screening on Sunday evening, they reportedly took advantage of the absence of security personnel at the main gate and slipped out of the facility. Preliminary inquiries also revealed that the CCTV camera surveillance system had been defunct for nearly two months after the cameras were damaged.

After fleeing the home, the escapees allegedly stole three two-wheelers on Chengalpattu-Orakkattupettai Road and robbed passers-by of cash and mobile phones before leaving the area.

Investigators said the juveniles later used one of the stolen mobile phones to contact acquaintances in Chennai. The police tracked the device’s location to Coimbatore, where the group had travelled by train. Acting on the lead, a special team arrested six of the escapees in Coimbatore, while another was secured in K.K. Nagar. Efforts are under way to trace the remaining five inmates.

Published - July 14, 2026 07:18 pm IST