Delhi (News Trust of India): The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to examine the subject of women convicts in West Bengal getting pregnant.
The top court took cognisance of the case after it was brought up at the Calcutta High Court on Thursday.
Lawyer Tapas Kumar Bhanja, who was appointed amicus curiae in a 2018 suo motu case on overcrowding in jails, had reported to the High Court that women detainees are falling pregnant while in custody.
He stated that an estimated 196 infants were born in different penal facilities across West Bengal.
To prevent similar situations, Bhanja suggested establishing a bar on male staff from entering enclosures holding women detainees.
A division bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Supratim Bhattacharya took a grave view of the matter and scheduled it for hearing before a division bench dealing in criminal cases.
On Friday, a Supreme Court bench of Justices Sanjay Kumar and Ahsanuddin Amanullah directed senior counsel Gaurav Agrawal to look into the issue and submit a report.
