Budaun (Uttar Pradesh): In what is probably a first such instance in the country, the Uttar Pradesh Police arrested the mothers of four juvenile delinquents, in an attempt to reform them.
While this may sound a noble idea, it is not known whether such a practice is legally permissible.
According to Hindustan Times, the four women were placed under preventive arrest in UP’s Budaun district after their minor sons were accused of harassing a teenage girl from the same village.
The action was taken to caution the parents over the behaviour of their children and for not imparting ‘achhe sanskar’ (good values), the police said.
The girl’s parents filed a complaint alleging that the four boys had made inappropriate remarks and harassed her while she was travelling to and from school. A case was registered earlier this week under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, The Indian Express reported.
The station house officer (SHO) of the police station concerned, Ajay Pal Singh, said the boys involved were below 13 years of age and were therefore not taken into custody. Instead, notices were issued to their families, following which the mothers were arrested on Friday as a preventive measure.
The boys were known for repeated misconduct and action against the parents was necessary to send a message about proper upbringing and values, the police officer said.
“These four boys are ill-mannered and known to indulge in nefarious activities. A message should be sent and a lesson taught to such parents… for not imparting good values and ensuring a better upbringing of their children, due to which they commit such offences,” Singh has been quoted as saying.
The fathers of the boys, who are currently working outside the state, would also face action once they return, the SHO said.
The four women were arrested under Section 170 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which allows arrest to prevent the commission of a cognisable offence. They were later produced before a sub-divisional magistrate and released on the same day after submitting personal bonds, it has been reported.
Senior police officials in the district said they were not immediately aware of the arrests. Budaun Senior Superintendent of Police Brijesh Kumar Singh’s office said the matter was being looked into, while Superintendent of Police (City) Vijendra Dwivedi stated that he would seek a detailed report from the SHO.
