Nearly 17% of jail inmates are child sex offenders

MUMBAI: Nearly 17% of the prisoners lodged at Byculla, Arthur Road, Taloja, Kalyan and Thane jails are child sex offenders. And their number is increasing in jail, said officials though they do not have previous years’ records for comparison as till 2017, cases registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act were listed under ‘crimes under women’ category.

Of the total 11,648 prisoners lodged in these five jails till March, 1,962 have been booked under the Pocso Act.

“We don’t have previous records about those arrested under the Posco Act, but we are now preparing a separate list for such accused as their numbers are increasing in jails,” said an official, requesting anonymity. “Also, since Posco Act is stringent, the accused do not get bail easily and stay in jail as undertrials for a longer period.”

The maximum accused booked in Posco cases—around 800—are lodged in Thane jail, followed by 675 inmates at Arthur Road prison.

According to jail officials many of accused claim they are innocent. “There are youths who claim that they were in a relationship with underage girls and were arrested and booked under the Posco Act either when they refused marriage or her parents objected to their relationship,” said an official. “However, it is up to the court to decide who is guilty or innocent.”

For officials the security of child sex offenders on the jail premises is a challenge. “Those booked under the Posco Act are more likely to be targeted by other prisoners. While there has been no case of assault against such an accused in the recent past, jail personnel do not want to take any chance and keep a watch on them,” said the officer.