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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Akola hottest in India at 46.9 deg C; Vidarbha under grip of heat wave
Nagpur (PTI): Akola in Maharashtra has recorded the highest temperature in the country at 46.9°C, while Nagpur and several other parts of Vidarbha reeled under a severe heat wave, MeT officials said on Monday.
Heat wave conditions are expected to persist across parts of the state's Vidarbha region till Tuesday, as maximum temperatures may reach 45 to 46 degrees Celsius and touch 47 degrees Celsius at isolated locations, they said.
On Sunday, Akola recorded 46.9 degrees Celsius, the highest temperature in the country, followed by Amravati at 46.8 degrees Celsius, according to the India Meteorological Department's Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Nagpur.
Wardha sizzled at 46.4 degrees Celsius, Yavatmal logged 46 degrees Celsius, Nagpur scorched at 45.4 degrees Celsius, while Chandrapur recorded 45 degrees Celsius, as per the data.
Akola, Amravati, Wardha, Yavatmal, Chandrapur and Nagpur experienced heat wave conditions, while several other districts reported above-normal temperatures, RMC scientist Dr Praveen Kumar told PTI.
The prevailing above-normal and persistently high temperatures over Vidarbha can be attributed to an anticyclonic circulation over Maharashtra and adjoining areas. At the same time, hot and dry northwesterly winds have been continuously affecting the region, he said.
In addition, weak western disturbances and the absence of moisture incursion or any significant weather systems have contributed to the intensification of heat over the region, the official said.
As per the Met department, heat wave conditions are likely to continue at a few or isolated places over the region till Tuesday.
The IMD has issued an 'orange' alert for Akola, Amravati and Wardha and a 'yellow' alert for Nagpur, Chandrapur and Yavatmal for Tuesday, saying that the maximum temperatures are likely to reach 45 to 46 deg C and possibly up to 47 deg C at isolated locations.
A relief from the heat wave is expected thereafter and the mercury is likely to dip by 2 to 3 deg C, with the possibility of rainfall and gusty winds in the coming days, it added.
The IMD grades the severity of any weather system through colour-coded alerts – green (no warning), yellow (be aware), orange (be prepared) and red (take action).
