Gujarat HC to hear plea in custodial torture case of Muslim minor from Botad
Ahmedabad: The family of a 17-year-old Muslim boy from Botad, Gujarat, who was allegedly subjected to custodial torture, has approached the Gujarat High Court after the Supreme Court redirected the case. The matter is listed for hearing on Monday, October 6.
The minor was detained by Botad police last month on suspicion of theft. His family alleges he was illegally confined for over 10 days, beaten, threatened with sexual assault, subjected to electric shocks, and denied food and water.
He was later admitted to Zydus Hospital in Ahmedabad in critical condition. According to the petition, he suffered kidney failure, seizures, temporary loss of eyesight, and severe mental trauma before being discharged to recover at home.
“My brother was taken in for no crime, beaten mercilessly, and left fighting for his life. We want justice and accountability,” his sister, the petitioner, said.
The plea seeks a court-monitored probe by either a special investigation team or the Central Bureau of Investigation, along with compensation and disciplinary action against the police officers involved. It also demands counselling and protection for the boy.
Represented by advocates Rohin Bhatt, Maharshi H. Patel, and Priyanka V. Limbachiya, the petition argues that the case reflects violations of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, which mandates that minors be placed under a child welfare officer and produced before a Juvenile Justice Board within 24 hours.
Instead, the petition states, the boy was kept in a lock-up and tortured, contrary to Supreme Court precedents such as D.K. Basu v. State of West Bengal and Munshi Singh Gautam v. State of Madhya Pradesh, which established custodial violence as a violation of fundamental rights. It further cites non-compliance with the Arnesh Kumar guidelines on arrests, making the detention illegal under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
“Every child has a fundamental right to life, and the State has a duty to protect it. Arbitrary actions like this damage public trust in the justice system and give a wrong message to those in uniform that they are above the law,” advocate Rohin Bhatt told Maktoob.
He added, “Police excesses and maltreatment of detainees are extremely dangerous. If such acts go unchecked, the very foundations of our justice system will be shaken, leading to chaos and authoritarianism.”
The petition, running over 300 pages, concludes that courts must handle such cases with “seriousness and sensitivity” to prevent erosion of public confidence in the judiciary.
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Two people killed as poultry vehicle rams into parked truck in Belagavi
Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): Two people were killed, and another was severely injured after a goods vehicle transporting poultry birds allegedly rammed into a stationary truck on a national highway in Belagavi in the early hours of Tuesday, police said.
The deceased have been identified as Wasim (28) and Mubarak (22), both natives of Shivamogga district, they said.
The driver of the vehicle, Basavaraj Eerappa Hanchinamani (37), suffered critical injuries and has been admitted to a hospital, police said.
According to police, the accident occurred when the driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle, allegedly due to drowsiness, and crashed into a truck parked along the highway.
The goods vehicle was en route from Kolhapur to Sorab in Shivamogga district, carrying poultry. Several chickens were also killed in the impact, a senior police officer said.
Police personnel from the Hirebagewadi Police Station visited the spot and conducted an inspection.
Injured people and the bodies of the deceased were shifted to a hospital, police added.
