CHANDIGARH India: A Committee of Advocates sent to Nabha and Sangrur jails by the Punjab and Haryana High Court has stated that children detained in those jails should be transferred to observation homes. The committee which has been asked to look in to the alleged detention of children in a report to the High Court said that these children should be segregated from the hard core political detainees and this should not be delayed at all. It has also said that jail authorities should be advised to observe the provisions of Children Act and the children should be sent for studies if they so want and further they should be given facilities to meet their parents and relations. The committee consisted of Mr. Narinder Singh and Mr. Roshan Lal Datta. It had been asked by Justice Kirpal Singh of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to visit the jails and report on the detention of children. The committee submitted its report two days ago. The Committee found that children below the age of 15 in these jails numbered four in Sangrur and five in Nabha jail. The report confirmed that these children were kept in jail barracks along with other detainees. The children were also classified as “terrorists” by the police although no case under the Terrorists Disruptive Activities Prevention Act has been registered against them. The Committee observed that the provisions of children’s act were very rarely observed. These children were never sent to observation homes. Mr. Balwinder Singh Bhunder an Akali Dal (B) ML.A. had filed a writ petition in the High Court for the release of children detained in different jails of Punjab. The petitioner added that 200 children were detained in jails.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 6, 1987
