Citing safety, juvenile accused isolated from co-inmates
Concerned over the alleged suicide by the prime accused in the Delhi gang rape case, the authorities at the observation home where the juvenile accused in the crime is being kept has sent the boy to an isolated cell. Karn Pratap Singh reports.
Concerned over the alleged suicide by the prime accused in the Delhi gang rape case, the authorities at the observation home where the juvenile accused in the crime is being kept has sent the boy to an isolated cell.
In view of the violent incidents reported at the observation home at Magazine Road in north Delhi, the authorities are taking care that the juvenile accused should not be harmed by his 20 co-inmates.
But the Delhi Police are not impressed by the arrangement. They are worried that the juvenile, who has shown moody and impulsive behaviour, might try to harm himself or others inside the cell. Even child psychologists are of the opinion that he should not be kept in isolation as it could trigger depression forcing him to take an extreme step.
“Persons like the juvenile possess poor emotional control. A person like him never fears for the consequences. Instead of keeping him in isolation, he should be kept under surveillance. Also, he should be provided counselling by a child psychologist,” said Pulkit Sharma, clinical psychologist, VIMHANS.
Meanwhile, the Delhi police have written a letter to the social welfare department of Delhi government, requesting them to review the security at the observation home. The letter was sent by DCP (north) Sindhu Pillai following two failed attempts made by the juvenile inmates in the past two months to escape from the observation home, after the juvenile accused was lodged there.
In the last one year, police said, five cases of violence have been reported to the Timarpur police. Apart from this, there have been several scuffles which were never reported.
“We have increased the number of guards and have also told them to be more alert,” said a Delhi government official.