Petition claiming women prisoners are getting pregnant in Bengal prisons

Demand to ban entry of male staff in prisons

Kolkata (Bengal) – According to a petition filed in the Calcutta High Court, it has been claimed that several women became pregnant while in prison. The petition has demanded that ‘entry of male staff in women’s prisons be banned’. The petition was heard before the bench of Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam and Justice Supratim Bhattacharya. They ordered to place the matter before a division bench that hears criminal cases. Apart from this, the State Government lawyers were also ordered to be present during the hearing. The next hearing on this matter will be held on 12th February.

The petition has been filed by the amicus curiae of the Calcutta High Court. They also visited a prison along with the Inspector General of Prisons of the State. They found a female prisoner who was pregnant. 15 other children are living there with their mothers. Their mothers are kept in a reformatory. After considering the petition, the Calcutta High Court agreed that amicus curiae had drawn attention to a serious issue.

A senior Police officer in Bengal said, “If a woman is arrested and whose child is less than 6 years old, then the child is allowed to stay in jail with its mother. We do not have any information on pregnancies among female inmates in prisons. If something like this is noticed, it will be considered.” 196 children below 6 years of age are already being cared for in various jails in Bengal.

Editorial Perspective

It is shameful for the prison administration if true !