The National Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognisance of a 16-year-old held with adult prisoners in Kasna Jail for nearly two months. It issued notices on June 19 seeking reports within two weeks and ordered a spot inquiry.
The commission directed its Director General (Investigation) to send officers for an on-site inquiry and submit findings within a week. The juvenile was apprehended on April 14 after factory worker protests in Noida turned violent the previous day. He remained in Kasna Jail until June 12 and was granted bail on June 18.
The Campaign for the Release of Workers and Activists of Noida alleged that police visited the boy's home after the NHRC order. They claimed officers forced him to sign papers, took a copy of his brother's Aadhaar card, and pressured him to record a video stating he used the card to enrol in a factory.
Notices were sent to the Uttar Pradesh Director General of Prisons Administration and the Director General of Police. The NHRC described the confinement as a serious human rights violation.