NHRC rescues minor girl from police custody

The Commission’s initiatives have helped to rescue a 12 year-old girl who was in the "custody" of the West Bengal police for nearly a decade for the reason that she was the sole witness to the murder of her mother by her father.

The Commission expressed shock at the apathy of the police and other officials who had been instrumental in the detention of this child for nine long years. The Commission observed "it is unthinkable that a child of three years would be considered to be a competent witness in a court of law and he or she should be detained for long years awaiting commencement of the trial. It seems that neither the court under whose order the child was stated to have been detained, nor the authorities concerned responsible for the running of the Home where she was detained, showed any interest for the welfare of the child. The consequence is an irretrievable loss to the child on account of her long detention."

The Commission felt that though no one could compensate Kalpana for the loss of her childhood and the trauma experienced, it was now necessary to alleviate her suffering by taking proper steps for her rehabilitation.

The Commission has thus directed the Government of West Bengal to deposit an amount of Rs.50,000/- in her name through a court guardian. The amount may be released on her attaining the age of majority to enable her to settle in life. The interest on this amount may be paid to the institute responsible for her rehabilitation. The education and rehabilitation of the destitute child is to be undertaken through SOS Children’s Village, or any institute of repute being run by an NGO in and around Howrah, till she becomes a major.