The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued conditional summons to the State Chief Secretary to appear before it on December 10 with regard to a juvenile who has spent more than 16 years in jail.
The condition is that if the requisite report from the Chief Secretary is received in the commission one week prior to the scheduled date then his personal appearance shall be dispensed with, said the NHRC in its order.
The NHRC passed the order recently after considering all materials placed before it by l petitioner, Supreme Court lawyer and rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy.
Tripathy alleged negligence of the administration and jail staffs for keeping minor boy (Bulu Biswal) along with other regular prisoners instead of sending him to the Juvenile Home, thereby causing harassment and torture to the victim. He sought investigation of the case, action against the errant officials and heavy compensation to the victim.
The NHRC had observed the report received from SP of Nayagarh and the Additional DG Police Cum DG of Prisons and held that it is apparent from the report that at the time of occurrence of incident the convict Bulu Biswal was under the age of 18 (minor) but still tried and convicted under normal criminal justice system instead of the Juvenile Justice Act. He has to undergo imprisonment for more than three years as prescribed the maximum punishment in the Act.