The Supreme Court has reprimanded the Uttar Pradesh government for unlawfully detaining a minor in a regular prison facility meant for adults, directing it to pay ₹5 lakh in compensation to the affected individual.
The case concerns a person who was a juvenile at the time of the alleged offence but was nonetheless placed in an adult jail instead of being sent to a juvenile care institution, as required under the law. The Court observed that this amounted to a serious breach of legal protections designed for children.
A bench of justices JK Maheshwari and AS Chandurkar emphasised that housing a juvenile with adult inmates is impermissible under law and reflects a systemic failure in safeguarding the rights of children in conflict with law.
During the proceedings, the state acknowledged the lapse and agreed to provide monetary compensation. The Court directed that the amount be released to the individual, who has since reached adulthood, once the necessary procedural steps are completed.
Highlighting the severity of the violation, the bench stated that incarcerating a minor with adult prisoners is contrary to both statutory provisions and constitutional safeguards. It characterised the incident as a violation of fundamental rights, stressing the responsibility of authorities to strictly follow juvenile justice norms.
The decision reinforces the judiciary’s stance on protecting the rights of minors and holding state authorities accountable for failures in implementing child protection laws.
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