Juvenile handcuffed by Telangana police creates row

An incident of police handcuffing a juvenile in Telangana's Medak district has evoked sharp reaction from different quarters, with child rights groups approaching the state human rights commission.

A 12-year-old boy, an accused in a theft case, was escorted by police in a public bus with his hands cuffed in violation of rules.

The boy was being shifted to a juvenile home in Nizamabad district in a bus after he was produced before a court in Sangareddy town of Medak district on Friday.

The boy, who hails from Uttar Pradesh, was arrested recently in Medak but since there is no juvenile home in the district, he was taken to Nizamabad district.

The police act has come in for sharp criticism from different quarters.

An organisation working for child rights moved the state human rights commission, seeking action against the policemen responsible for it.

The activists argued that handcuffing a juvenile was in violation of the Juvenile Justice Act and also the guidelines issued by the Supreme Court.

The Medak district legal services authority has also taken serious note of the incident. The authority said it would suo motu register a case.