Illegal detention of children: SC asks J&K high court to file fresh report

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Juvenile Justice Committee of the Jammu High Court to file a fresh report on the alleged detention of minors by the security forces in the region.

A three-judge bench headed by N V Ramana was hearing a petition filed by child rights activist Enakshi Ganguly who claimed that the children in Jammu and Kashmir have been illegally detained under the Public Safety Act (PSA) in the wake of the abrogation of Article 370.

The Centre on August 5 abrogated Article 370 of the Indian Constitution in accordance to which the state of Jammu and Kashmir has now been bifurcated into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Earlier this month, the Juvenile Justice Committee had submitted a report to the apex court claiming that "144 juveniles, including children aged nine and 11, were arrested since August 5 after the abrogation of Article 370".

The committee, however, submitted that no child is under illegal detention in the valley.