The Haryana Human Rights Commission (HHRC) has ordered a comprehensive inquiry after two juvenile offenders were allegedly assaulted with pipes and belts by staff members at a Place of Safety in Karnal.
According to The Tribune, the commission took cognisance of serious allegations of physical assault, corporal punishment, and verbal abuse of two minor children living at the Place of Safety (Bal Sudhar Kendra), Madhuban, in Karnal district.
Multi-departmental probe ordered by Haryana Human Rights Commission
Considering the gravity of the allegations, the HHRC has directed three separate entities to submit detailed reports. The Police Department, the Women and Child Development Department, and the Superintendent of the Place of Safety, Madhuban, have all been asked to conduct their own investigations and file their findings.
As per the complaint, the two minor boys were residing at the Place of Safety in compliance with orders from the Juvenile Justice Board. The complainants have alleged that two staff members of the institution brutally assaulted the children with pipes and belts, causing multiple injuries to them.
Allegations of brutal assault on minors at Karnal shelter home
The complaint details that the two staff members used pipes and belts to beat the juvenile offenders, resulting in visible injuries. The children were under the care of the facility as per legal directives from the Juvenile Justice Board, which had ordered their placement there.
The HHRC has taken a serious view of the matter, noting that such treatment of minors in state-run facilities violates their fundamental rights. The commission has called for a time-bound investigation to ensure accountability.
Our Take: Accountability must follow in Karnal assault case
This incident raises serious questions about the safety of children in state-run facilities. If the allegations are true, it is deeply troubling that those entrusted with the care and rehabilitation of juvenile offenders would resort to such brutal methods. The Haryana Human Rights Commission has done the right thing by ordering a multi-departmental probe. But what matters now is swift action — not just reports that gather dust. The staff members accused must be identified and held accountable, and the system must ensure that no child in state care faces such violence again.