JOIN USThe sixteen-year-old Jaleel B A, a resident of Begur Road was picked up by the police on charges of robbery and was illegally detained for 10 days.
According to the complainant Jameela, Jaleel’s sister, he was taken from his house on 21 September, 2009 and was housed in the station for over ten days. Despite pleas that he was a minor and was not connected with any crime, the police held him and allegedly subjected him to several tortures.
The complainant said that even after producing the age proof, the police refused to consider it and produced him before the Court only on 1, October, 2009, ten days after his arrest.
Counsel for the victim, Siji Malayil said that it was the duty of the police to ascertain the age of children below the age of 18 before the arrest, and detention of such children is illegal and is against the Juvenile Justice Act. He said that such children cannot be housed in prisons but should be sent to remand homes. Pointing out to the torture that has totally crippled the child, he said “He is now unable to walk. The boy, being fatherless, has nobody to take care,” he explained.
The boy is produced before the State Human Rights Commission and has identified all those who had arrested and tortured him, Malayil said.