POLICE ABUSE AND KILLINGS OF STREET CHILDREN IN INDIA Human Rights Watch Children===s Rights Project Human Rights Watch/Asia Human Rights Watch New York $$$ Washington $$$ London $$$ Brussels Created by Neevia Personal Converter trial version http://www.neevia.com Created by Neevia Personal Converter trial version Copyright 8 November 1996 by Human Rights Watch. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. ISBN 1-56432-205-X Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 96-077861 Human Rights Watch Children=s Rights Project The Human Rights Watch Children=s Rights Project was established in 1994 to monitor and promote the human rights of children around the world. Lois Whitman is the director; Yodon Thonden is counsel; and Rosa Ehrenreich, Arvind Ganesan, and Lee Tucker are consultants. Jane Green Schaller is chair of the advisory committee. Human Rights Watch/Asia Human Rights Watch/Asia division was established in 1985 to monitor and promote the observance of internationally recognized human rights in Asia. Sidney Jones is the executive director; Mike Jendrzejczyk is the Washington director; Robin Munro is the Hong Kong director; Patricia Gossman is the senior researcher; Jeannine Guthrie is the NGO Liaison; Zunetta Liddell is the research associate; Joyce Wan is the Henry R. Luce Fellow; Paul Lall and Olga Nousias are associates; Mickey Spiegel is the research consultant. Andrew J. Nathan is chair of the advisory committee and Orville Schell is vice chair. 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Our reputation for timely, reliable disclosures has made us an essential source of information for those concerned with human rights. We address the human rights practices of governments of all political stripes, of all geopolitical alignments, and of all ethnic and religious persuasions. Human Rights Watch defends freedom of thought and expression, due process and equal protection of the law, and a vigorous civil society; we document and denounce murders, disappearances, torture, arbitrary imprisonment, discrimination, and other abuses of internationally recognized human rights. Our goal is to hold governments accountable if they transgress the rights of their people. Human Rights Watch began in 1978 with the founding of its Helsinki division. Today, it includes five divisions covering Africa, the Americas, Asia, the Middle East, as well as the signatories of the Helsinki accords. It also includes three collaborative projects on arms transfers, children's rights, and women's rights. 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The regional directors of Human Rights Watch are Peter Takirambudde, Africa; José Miguel Vivanco, Americas; Sidney Jones, Asia; Holly Cartner, Helsinki; and Eric Goldstein, Middle East (acting). The project directors are Joost R. Hiltermann, Arms Project; Lois Whitman, Children's Rights Project; and Dorothy Q. Thomas, Women's Rights Project. The members of the board of directors are Robert L. Bernstein, chair; Adrian W. DeWind, vice chair; Roland Algrant, Lisa Anderson, William Carmichael, Dorothy Cullman, Gina Despres, Irene Diamond, Edith Everett, Jonathan Fanton, James C. Goodale, Jack Greenberg, Vartan Gregorian, Alice H. Henkin, Stephen L. Kass, Marina Pinto Kaufman, Bruce Klatsky, Harold Hongju Koh, Alexander MacGregor, Josh Mailman, Samuel K. Murumba, Andrew Nathan, Jane Olson, Peter Osnos, Kathleen Peratis, Bruce Rabb, Sigrid Rausing, Anita Roddick, Orville Schell, Sid Sheinberg, Gary G. Sick, Malcolm Smith, Domna Stanton, Nahid Toubia, Maureen White, Rosalind C. Whitehead, and Maya Wiley. Created by Neevia Personal Converter trial version http://www.neevia.com ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This report was made possible through the invaluable assistance of lawyers, representatives of nongovernmental organizations working with street children in India, and the children who provided their testimony. All of them must remain anonymous out of fear of reprisals by local police. This report was written by Arvind Ganesan, a consultant for Human Rights Watch. It is based on research conducted in February and March 1995 and in December 1995 and January 1996. The report was edited by Patricia Gossman, senior researcher for Human Rights Watch/Asia; Lois Whitman, director of the Human Rights Watch Children=s Rights Project; Sidney Jones, executive director of Human Rights Watch/Asia; Dinah PoKempner, acting general counsel, and Michael McClintock, deputy program director for Human Rights Watch. Production assistance was provided by Paul Lall, associate for Human Rights Watch/Asia. Created by Neevia Personal Converter trial version http://www.neevia.com CONTENTS GLOSSARY.......................................................................................................vii I. SUMMARY .....................................................................................................1 Recommendations .................................................................................4 II. OVERVIEW...................................................................................................7 III. ILLEGAL DETENTION.............................................................................15 The Juvenile Justice Act.......................................................................20 Observation, Remand, Special, and Juvenile Homes ...........................23 IV. TORTURE ..................................................................................................30 Abuses Associated with the Investigation of Crime .............................34 Other Situations in Which Torture Is Used ..........................................42 V. EXTORTION ...............................................................................................50 Abuses and Extortion Associated with Investigation of Crime ...........52 Abuses Associated with the Payment of Protection Money .................55 VI. NGO INITIATIVES TO ADDRESSPOLICE ABUSE OF STREET CHILDREN..........................................................................................60 VII. CUSTODIAL DEATHS,IMPUNITY, AND THE NEED FOR REFORMS67 VIII. THE APPLICABLE LAWS .....................................................................90 International Laws................................................................................90 The Laws of India ................................................................................92 IX. CONCLUSION ...........................................................................................94 APPENDICES....................................................................................................96 A: Statement of Krishna Kumar Tripati ..............................................96 B: The Juvenile Justice Act, 1986......................................................103 C: U.N. Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice (The Beijing Rules)....................................130 D: U.N. Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of Their Liberty....................................................................140 E: U.N. Convention Against Torture and Other Forms of Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment ................156 F: U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child ..................................169 Created by Neevia Personal Converter trial version http://www.neevia.com Created by Neevia Personal Converter trial version http://www.neevia.com GLOSSARY Human Rights Watch uses the definition of Achild@ in Article One of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child which states: AFor the purposes of the present Convention, a child means every human being below the age of eighteen years unless, under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier.@ Section 2(h) of India=s Juvenile Justice Act (1986) states that a Ajuvenile@ is Aa boy who has not attained the age of