Lucknow, Jul 5 (IANS):) Eight staff members of a shelter home in Motinagar area in Lucknow, including an art and craft teacher, have been booked after five girl inmates escaped.

"The girls' escaped on Sunday by taking the support of the basin and window of the dining hall to reach the roof of the building to escape," said Mithilesh Pal, the assistant superintendent of Rajkiya Bal Griha.

Those who fled the shelter home include two 17-year-old girls from Hardoi and Amroha, a 15-year-old girl from Unnao, and two 16-year-old girls from Sultanpur and Sitapur.

Pal said that art and craft teacher, Meena Devi, class four employees Shikha Bhattacharya and Jamil, private women security guards Sabina and Kavita, peon Vivek Jaiswal, and a home guard, Amit, were on duty when the incident took place.

"It surfaced during investigation that Meena, Shikha, Sabina and Kavita were present on the premises while Vivek and Jamil were at the gate on the outer portion of the building," Pal said.

She said home guard Amit was present in the guard room which is at the top floor and exactly opposite the roof of the dining hall.

It was found in the CCTV footage that the girls climbed the roof of the dining hall and the place is just 5-6 feet away from the guard room.

The CCTV footage also revealed that craft teacher, Meena Devi, went to the wash basin twice to wash her face and the girls went inside their room on seeing her.

Pal said the staff on duty were careless and demanded action against them.

District probationary officer, Lucknow, Sudhakar Pandey said all the five girls were brought to the shelter home on June 25 and were kept in a quarantine room in view of Covid protocol.

Additional deputy commissioner of police, west zone, Rajesh Srivastava said an FIR against eight staff members had been lodged. Srivastava also reached the spot and quizzed the staff deployed in the night shift.

"We have sent details of the girls to bus/railway stations in the city and neighbouring districts. We have also informed the police officials in the respective districts of the girls," he said.