Child-Friendly Rooms in Police Stations Turned Into Dumping Grounds, Washrooms in Horrible Condition, Toothbrush Used as Door Latch

Despite the Juvenile Justice Act’s emphasis on creating safe spaces for children entangled in crime world, child-friendly rooms in Pune city police stations are now being used as storage in multiple police stations in the city, exposing lapses in the commitment to child welfare.

The intention behind creating a child-friendly atmosphere for juveniles in conflict with the law has turned into a matter of grave concern. The child-friendly rooms, once set up in police stations to help minor accused and victims, are now being repurposed for the police’s own benefit, with the space being occupied as a storage area for discarded furniture, brooms, and police equipment in Pune.

Dumped stuff inside Balsnehi Kaksha in Saharkar Nagar | Ankit Shukla

Lashkar police station | Ankit Shukla

At Swargate Police station, toilet in Balsnehi Kaksha | Ankit Shukla

Why were these rooms launched?

As per the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, every police station is required to maintain a child-friendly environment to ensure that children in conflict with the law or those requiring legal aid receive necessary care, support, and protection.

Child-friendly rooms were established in various police stations across the city starting in 2021. These rooms were designed as safe spaces where juveniles could interact with police officers, legal aid experts, and counselors without fear of intimidation or trauma.

Pathetic condition of the rooms

However, in a sting operation conducted by FPJ teams at Swargate, Sahkar Nagar Police station among others, it has been found that several of these rooms have been repurposed as storage spaces for discarded furniture, brooms, and police equipment. A few of them have unhygienic washroom conditions. This deterioration has been marked by peeling paint, broken door latches, windows, and a general sense of neglect. At Swargate Police station, we even saw a toothbrush instead of a door latch which was broken.

On the condition of anonymity, a senior official from the Hope For Children Foundation said, “Initially, six Bal Snehi police stations were established in 2021. Later, the number increased to 28. Such establishments were started in compliance with the Juvenile Justice Act 2015, Rule (2018) Section 8 (5), which justifies the need for juvenile child-friendly spaces and units in police stations.”

“Mostly, the cases involving children are treated as low priority. However, if juveniles do not receive proper guidance, they could become full-time criminals in the future. This should not be taken lightly,” he added.

“We reported 2-3 months ago to the Commissioner of Police of Pune regarding the condition and maintenance of the Bal Snehi rooms, but the situation remains the same. Initially, we provided furniture, a small library, toys, two registers (to maintain the records of such cases), and child-friendly task force vehicles with drivers. Moreover, beautification and art were also done by our organization. The station in charge needs to maintain a fresh environment in such rooms. Sometimes the maintenance registers also get lost when a responsible cop is transferred, which should not happen.”

At Swargate Police station, we even saw a toothbrush instead of a door latch which was broken. | Ankit Shukla

Here’s what cops said

Ranjan Kumar Sharma, Joint Commissioner of Police, speaking to the Free Press Journal, said, “Maybe the rooms are being used as a store room for other reasons, otherwise, they are functioning well. The Juvenile Justice Unit is also conducting regular inspections. Still, we will recheck the condition of the rooms and instruct officers to use them for the main purpose for which they were built and to keep the environment clean. Sometimes, they remain unused due to no cases being registered for a long time. Moreover, the training of police through NGOs to handle such cases is also ongoing. Most of the cases related to POCSO are being handled in the Bal Snehi Kaksha, and police officers have been instructed to handle the cases in civil dress to ensure a safe environment for the minor victims. We will be strict with the dedicated staff to maintain the rooms and use them for their specialized purpose.”