Minor kept in jail for 12 days

A 15-year-old girl, who was arrested in connection with the alleged dowry death of his brother’s wife on August 15, was illegally kept in police lock-up for 12 days in gross violation of law and human rights norms.

On Monday, she was produced before the court and sent to jail as police claimed she was a major.

As per the law, minor delinquents must be kept at juvenile homes. If they are girls, they should be sent to a Nari Niketan. Also, no offender could be kept in a lock-up for more than 24 hours.

“The case of that girl is not registered in women police station but in Gangeri police station which had kept her in our lock-up. Now she has been sent to jail on the orders of the SSP,” SO, women police station, Sunita Mishra told HT.

“The girl is mature and so she has been sent to jail. If the accused girl is minor and her family proves it in the court, then she will get the benefit of being minor,” said Ram Vallabh Sharma, the station officer of Gangeri police station.

When the wife of the minor girl’s brother died of burn injuries, the family of the deceased named her also in their complaint. Subsequently, police arrested the husband of the deceased.

His minor sister was also arrested that very day. After arresting her, Gangeri police gave her custody to women police station.

On Sunday evening, she was found weeping in the lock-up when some media persons noticed her.

When the illegal custody of minor girl came to light, SSP Rajesh Pande took a tough stand and so Gangeri police and investigating officer (IO) in the case sent the girl to the Aligarh district jail.

Meanwhile, RTI activist and advocate Pratik Chaudhry has complained to the National Human Rights Commission, demanding action against the IO and Gangeri police station officer.