The Supreme Court will hear a petition in a custodial torture case involving a minor brutally tortured in police custody, seeking an SIT/CBI investigation, compensation, and justice.
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NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a petition filed by the brother of a minor who was allegedly subjected to brutal torture and sexual assault by several officers of Botad Town Police Station in Gujarat. The matter was mentioned before a bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai and Justice Vinod K Chandran, which has now listed the case for hearing on Monday, September 15, 2025.
The Allegations
According to the petition, the minor boy was apprehended last month at a fair in Botad district on allegations of theft of gold and cash. Between August 19 and 28, while kept in illegal custody, he was reportedly beaten by four to six police officers and subjected to sexual assault through the insertion of sticks into his anus. His grandfather was also allegedly picked up by the police and tortured on August 21.
The plea highlights that the boy was neither produced before the Juvenile Justice Board nor a Magistrate within 24 hours of his arrest, in violation of mandatory procedures and established Supreme Court guidelines. Moreover, the police allegedly failed to conduct a mandatory medical examination at the time of arrest.
Medical Condition of the Minor
The petition further reveals that the child was admitted to a local hospital on September 1, but the family was denied access to medical details. Currently, he is undergoing treatment at Zydus Hospital, Ahmedabad, where he is in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). He is reportedly on dialysis due to kidney damage caused by the assault, has suffered temporary loss of eyesight, seizures, and bowel incontinence.
Alarmingly, the plea adds that while the child was in the ICU, certain individuals claiming to be from the Magistrate’s office obtained his signature on documents. Family members were also allegedly coerced into signing statements that the boy was injured in a bicycle accident.
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The Minority Coordination Committee, Gujarat, an NGO, has already submitted a representation to the Director General of Police, demanding suspension of the officers, registration of an FIR, and other necessary actions. Some action has reportedly been taken by the State following this representation.
Legal Prayers Made in the Petition
The petition, drafted by Advocates Rohin Bhatt and Panistha Bhatt and filed by Advocate Paras Nath Singh, seeks urgent judicial intervention. Key prayers include:
- Award of exemplary compensation to both the minor and his grandfather for custodial torture.
- Constitution of a Court-monitored Special Investigation Team (SIT) or a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe under Supreme Court supervision.
- Registration of an FIR under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023; the POCSO Act; the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015; and other applicable laws.
- Immediate preservation of CCTV footage of August–September from Botad Town Police Station.
- Production of all medical records from Botad Hospital and Zydus Hospital.
- Constitution of a medical board at AIIMS, New Delhi, to independently assess the injuries.
- Financial aid for medical treatment and psychological counselling of the minor.