A brawl among inmates of Darbhanga Juvenile Home has prompted its authorities on Monday to make a list of prisoners above the age of 18 and send them to jail.

The move comes after a few inmates of the home fought among themselves and even boycotted meals served to them for the past three days.

Darbhanga Juvenile Home superintendent Nandkishore Prasad Singh said: “We are preparing the list of inmates who have crossed the 18-year-mark so that they could be sent to jail according to the norms.”

On Sunday evening, over six prisoners of the juvenile home were rushed to Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital after they complained of deteriorating health condition because of the ongoing hunger strike. They were, however, released after preliminary check-up. One inmate was administered saline before being released from the hospital on Monday.

A group of inmates was still on the strike at the divisional remand home, which houses juvenile prisoners from Darbhanga, Madhubani and Samastipur.

According to sources, trouble broke out when some inmates, mostly from Samastipur, had a fight with their counterparts from Darbhanga and Madhubani. The inmates from Samastipur boycotted meals served by the juvenile home and demanded immediate transfer of a few prisoners, the sources said.

Singh told The Telegraph: “The prisoners from Samastipur had a fight with two other inmates from Darbhanga and Madhubani on a petty issue. After the brawl, they divided themselves into two factions, demanding transfer of one group from the home. Since June 2, the faction hailing from Samastipur went on the hunger strike and boycotted the meal served by the home. They were surviving on glucose and biscuits.”

Singh added: “Transfer of juvenile prisoners is not in our hand. We need permission of the juvenile courts concerned of the district before shifting them to the remand homes of other districts. We have started the procedure of seeking permission from the court before they are shifted somewhere else. Since Samastipur and Madhubani have no remand homes, even if we get the permission they will be transferred to juvenile homes of other districts.”

Sources at the juvenile home said at present there are 34 prisoners — 10 from Darbhanga, nine from Madhubani and 15 from Samastipur.

Sources said prisoners who are above 18 years create problem with the juvenile prisoners and make groups within the home. They dominate the juveniles and get things done, which leads to fights within the walls.