6 convicts escape from mental asylum

HYDERABAD: Six life convicts of Cherlapalli Central Prison undergoing treatment at the Erragadda mental hospital escaped from the hospital in the early hours of Friday.Hospital superintendent V Pramod Kumar said the six mentally-ill patients were under treatment for the last one month in the inpatient ward meant for patients from prisons.They escaped by cutting iron grills of ventilators in the ward.in the wee hours of Friday. KL Srinivasa Rao, superintendent of Cheralpalli Central Prison, visited the hospital and a manhunt has been launched for them.The hospital lodged a complaint with the SR Nagar police station. The escaped patients are: K Yadagiri (33), D Narasaih (39), P Lachaiah (35) - all from Medak, M Ramulu (40) from Sangareddy, Afraz Khan (35) from Adilabad and V Giriraj Singh from Haryana.Police suspect that the escape must have been preplanned .They escaped by cutting iron grills of the ventilator with an axe blade.