Three women missing from Mahila Mandiram in Kochi

They reportedly locked doors of staff members and scaled down building

Three young women who were staying at the Mahila Mandiram run by the Department of Women and Child Development at Champakkara reportedly locked the doors of staff members of the institution early on Monday morning and scaled down the building using a long cloth to make good their escape.

The Maradu police said they had obtained CCTV visuals of the three women who were reported missing from the institution. They include two 19-year-olds, a native of Panangad in Kochi and another from Tamil Nadu, and a 24-year-old hailing from Kolkata. The police have launched a search to track them.

Mahila Mandiram sources said they were caught by surprise as the three women locked the doors of staff members and gave the slip after climbing to the terrace. “It appears to be a well-planned escape. None of them had a criminal background. Two of them had been detained after they jumped quarantine. The third from Kolkata was a victim of human trafficking,” they said.

The Mandiram, a temporary shelter for women, admits widows, and deserted and destitute women above 18 years who have no one to look after them. Those who approach the institution along with kids are permitted to reside there till the child attains six years of age. The children are then accommodated in other welfare institutions, where they are provided education and care.

Source: Read Full Article