Pune: Four Patients Flee Yerawada Mental Hospital; Six Employees Suspended Over Security Lapses
Yerawada, 13th August 2025: In a serious breach of security, four patients escaped from Yerawada Regional Mental Hospital in separate incidents over the past fortnight, prompting the suspension of six staff members, including four ward attendants and two constables assigned to night duty.
The first incident took place on July 29, when a 37-year-old man from Nanded absconded from the male ward. Just three days later, on August 1, three more patients — aged 35, 40, and 45, all residents of Solapur district — also managed to flee.
On August 8, the hospital administration initiated disciplinary measures, suspending the six employees and issuing show-cause notices to two senior doctors and two ward assistants, who have been given a week to explain the lapses.
A preliminary probe cited inadequate night staffing, poor supervision, and failure to follow security protocols as major factors behind the escape. While the three patients from Solapur have since returned to their homes, the Nanded patient remains missing. Yerawada Police have registered a case and are continuing their search.
Protective Wall Controversy Resurfaces:
The incident has reignited a long-standing dispute over the hospital’s missing boundary wall. Health activist Sharat Shetty alleged that crores of rupees sanctioned for its construction were misappropriated by former administrators. He further accused the health department of burying the inquiry report to shield those involved, leaving patient safety at risk.
Confirming the disciplinary action, Dr. Nagnath Yempalle, Acting Deputy Director of Health for Pune Division, said: “It was established that the absence of a boundary wall, combined with staff negligence, played a significant role in these incidents.”
As of now, the patient from Nanded has not been located, and police investigations remain underway.
