Remand Home inmates tortured?

By CT reporter
MANGALORE : Are the inmates of the remand home at Vamanjoor in the outskirts of the city much tortured by the staff there ? The answer to this question can very well be given in the affirmative with four girls from the remand home missing recently. It is now being said theat the girls were virtually starved forcing them to escape.
Those missing are Sona and Lalitha, aged above 18 and Salma and Pavitra (14).
It has now been gathered that the young girls were subject to much punishment and harassment in various ways in the remand home.
Some of the punishment modes include caning, making them stand on one leg etc.
Residents of the vicinity say they often hear the girls cry and scream during day and night.
Presently one Kamala who was earlier a sweeper here has been made warden and she, it is learnt, used to vent her anger over her work pressure and personal problems with the girls.
Even the superintendent Pushpalatha and matron Hemavathi were said to be rude with the inmates.
Locals say it was common to see heart-rending scenes inside the remand home campus almost quite often.
It is a tragedy that the child welfare officer, and other higher authorities have not taken any serious note of this harassment of young girls in the remand home.