Pune The parents of nine minor migrant labourers from poor families of the Kondh tribe of Orissa, lodged for months in a government observation home in Yerawada for allegedly beating a labour contractor to death for subjecting them to cruelty, are expected to arrive in the city on Monday. Even as the lawyer representing the juveniles said they are likely to plead guilty, activists have sought a special body to look at migrant juveniles in conflict with the law. Sheetal Bansode, representing them in the juvenile court, said, "Getting bail is very difficult and even after that the case would have continued making it even more difficult for their parents, who are poor farm labourers. These juveniles had told us that they had beaten the contractor to death and had also told us about inhuman treatment he had subjected them to. As per law, the court may order them community service for sometime or may fine them. If they are asked to do community service, we will try our best to persuade the court to send them to places near their homes in Orissa."
Child Rights activists say the case has brought to light the need for a special system to tackle juvenile migrant workers in conflict with the law.
In October 2010, these nine minors aged between 11 and 16 - three from Rayagada and six from Koraput districts in the tribal belt of Orissa - were brought to Pune by labour contractor Bhimsen Hazari Samantarai (42). In May this year, they were held by Wanawadi police for allegedly beating Samantarai to death for subjecting them to cruelty, not paying their wages and not giving them enough food.
The nine were arrested based on the complaint of a supervisor, Parikhito Behera.
Amita Naidu, a Pune-based child rights activist, who met the minors at the observation home, referred the matter to Bidyut Mohanty, another activist with the Society for Promoting Rural Education and Development (SPREAD) in Koraput. He got in touch with parents of the six from Kadamjhala village of Dasmantpur block in Koraput. On Monday, the father of each of the nine will come to Pune and are likely to plead guilty before the juvenile court on behalf of their wards. The juveniles had said they were only given some rice and poha to eat and were never paid any wages.
Naidu said, "This case highlights the urgent need for proper implementation of the Juvenile Justice Act. As per sections 50, 55 and 56 of this law these minors could have been transferred to an observation home in Orissa, but there were many technical difficulties and there was nobody to monitor the transfer. At the same time, we badly need a special body to look after issues of migrant juveniles in conflict with the law, whose number is growing with increasing inflow of migrants from comparatively backward regions."
Child Rights activists say the case has brought to light the need for a special system to tackle juvenile migrant workers in conflict with the law.
In October 2010, these nine minors aged between 11 and 16 - three from Rayagada and six from Koraput districts in the tribal belt of Orissa - were brought to Pune by labour contractor Bhimsen Hazari Samantarai (42). In May this year, they were held by Wanawadi police for allegedly beating Samantarai to death for subjecting them to cruelty, not paying their wages and not giving them enough food.
The nine were arrested based on the complaint of a supervisor, Parikhito Behera.
Amita Naidu, a Pune-based child rights activist, who met the minors at the observation home, referred the matter to Bidyut Mohanty, another activist with the Society for Promoting Rural Education and Development (SPREAD) in Koraput. He got in touch with parents of the six from Kadamjhala village of Dasmantpur block in Koraput. On Monday, the father of each of the nine will come to Pune and are likely to plead guilty before the juvenile court on behalf of their wards. The juveniles had said they were only given some rice and poha to eat and were never paid any wages.
Naidu said, "This case highlights the urgent need for proper implementation of the Juvenile Justice Act. As per sections 50, 55 and 56 of this law these minors could have been transferred to an observation home in Orissa, but there were many technical difficulties and there was nobody to monitor the transfer. At the same time, we badly need a special body to look after issues of migrant juveniles in conflict with the law, whose number is growing with increasing inflow of migrants from comparatively backward regions."
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