Uttar Pradesh: NHRC Orders Probe After 16-Year-Old Was Allegedly Kept in Adult Jail for 2 Months

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken independent, suo motu cognizance of reports that a 16-year-old minor boy was illegally detained as an adult inmate for more than two months at Kasna jail in Gautam Budh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh. The rights body has demanded an immediate, detailed investigation into the matter from top state police and prison officials.

According to a media report dated June 16, 2026, the minor, a resident of Shahjahanpur district, was arrested on April 14, 2026. The youth reportedly received a phone call telling him to pick up a parcel in his name, but was taken into custody by police upon arrival at the location. Uttar Pradesh: CBI Court Sentences Man to 10 Years Imprisonment in 2015 Homicide Case of Pratapgarh Inspector Anil Kumar.

The police filed a First Information Report (FIR) against the boy under several severe sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The report further alleges that police personnel physically assaulted the minor and forced him to sign blank documents.

Following his arrest, the teenager spent over two months housed alongside adult inmates at Kasna jail. It took an ossification test—a medical procedure used to estimate physical age—to officially confirm his status as a minor, after which it took an additional six days to transfer him to a local juvenile observation home. Despite later being granted bail by a court, the minor remains confined to the juvenile home. His family, reported to be living in extreme poverty, has been unable to arrange the financial surety bond required to secure his physical release. Uttar Pradesh: 36 Prisoners Test Positive for HIV in Lucknow District Jail, Total Cases Reach 47.

The initial arrest reportedly stemmed from a police crackdown following local protests by labourers who were demanding higher pay and improved working conditions in the district. Observing that the allegations indicate a severe violation of human rights, the NHRC issued formal notices to the Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) and the Director General of Prisons Administration and Reform Services. Both departments are required to submit a comprehensive report on the incident within two weeks.

Additionally, the NHRC has directed its own Director General of Investigation to dispatch a specialized team to conduct an on-the-spot inquiry and present a separate report within one week.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 19, 2026 06:30 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).