A violent clash broke out on Tuesday night at the Bhuda Child Reformatory in Dhanbad, when two groups of 92 inmates, including 43 convicts and 49 accused, started fighting among themselves. The inmates also hurled stones at the police team that arrived upon receiving the news, as well as at some reformatory staff, injuring a few of them.

The warring faction also pelted stones at the adjoining houses late in the night.

On Wednesday, a team of the Juvenile Justice Board accompanied by a team of Dhansar Police visited the site to take stock of the situation.

The agitated local residents of Bhuda gathered outside the child reformatory to meet the team of the Juvenile Justice Board and lodged complaints about the regular disturbance in the area carried out by the inmates.

They said that the inmates hurl stones on their houses occasionally and also pass lewd comments on girls by climbing up the terrace of the building.

Confirming the incident, Additional District Magistrate (Law and Order) Chandan Kumar said, “This is a serious issue and we have instructed the Sub Divisional Officer of Dhanbad Surendra Prasad to look into the causes of the regular clash between the inmates and submit a report.”

The conflict got initiated in the evening when a convict beat up an under-trial detainee leading to tension between the two groups, which gradually escalated with time and became violent at around 11 pm. This led the police team to arrive at the location and control the situation.

Sources in the reformatory said that conflicts take place regularly between the convicts and accused inmates. Recently, fights broke out between the two sides on October 21 and November 8.

Local residents of Bhuda living in the surrounding areas of the Child Reformatory Centre demanded its immediate shifting from the area citing their security is under threat.

Talking to The Telegraph Online, Sunaina Devi, a local resident said, “The state of affairs at the reformatory can be understood from the fact that inmates keep parading on the terrace and boundary walls, gazing at women and girls and or our locality. They also pass lewd comments and occasionally resort to stone pelting at our homes.”

Former councilor and local resident Upendra Kushwaha said, “The residents in the nearby areas are living in continuous fear. We have asked the members of the juvenile team to carry out a probe as many of these offenders seem much older than 18.”

President of social organisation Jharkhand Gramin Vikas Trust Shankar Rawani said, “The issue is serious in nature and we demand a probe with regard to the presence of adult persons lying at the centre. A medical examination should be carried out to demand their age.”