State to adopt NGO's advice for kids of women prisoners

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has agreed to almost all the suggestions made by the NGO Prayas to provide various measures for the help and welfare of children of women prisoners. It confirmed the same through an affidavit filed in the Bombay high court. It, however, refused to provide financial aid to recognised NGOs, to take care of these children and their rehabilitation.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice N.M. Jamdar, was hearing a suo moto petition following a report filed by the NGO Prayas, which highlighted the need to protect children of women prisoners and provide them with a safe environment to grow. In a previous hearing, the court had asked the state to reply to the suggestions and also asked the secretary of the women and child development (WCD) department to be present before the court, while filing the reply.

According to the report prepared by Vijay Raghavan, project director of Prayas, and an amicus curiae in the matter, it spoke about the need for the presence of a lawyer during the interrogation of children whose parents were accused in a case; setting up of Anganwadis in the women's section of prisons, and creating awareness among women of their right to take their infant children to jail.

The state counsel, Hiten Venegaonkar, informed the court that necessary instructions had been given to prisons and the concerned officials rega-rding these suggestions.

The court told the secretary of WCD to take the issue seriously and not delay in implementing the suggested measures. The court also suggested that a special committee of sitting judges be formed to address the issue.

The matter will be heard again after two weeks, for further directions by the court.

Time line

• 2002: Prayas, an NGO working with prisons, comes out with a report on facilities available in women’s prisons
• April 2015: Prayas writes to the court regarding the rising problems of children of women’s prisoners and seeks its intervention in this regard
• May, 2015: The Bombay high court takes cognisance of letter from Prayas and converts it into a suo moto public interest litigation.
• Jan 2017: Matter comes up for hearing, the state is asked to file reply
• June 2017: State agrees to accept all suggestions by Prayas 

 Suggestions by Prayas 

• Presence of legal aid while interrogating women prisoners
• Setting up of anganwadis in women prisons
• Informing women prisoners of their right to take their infants to jail
• Providing good education and diet to children of women prisoners in aaganwadis