Women prisoners in custody getting pregnant: amicus curiae tells Calcutta HC

The Calcutta High Court on Thursday took serious note of an amicus curiae’s contention that women incarcerated in West Bengal jails are pregnant. The amicus curiae said around 196 children were born in various prisons in the state. “The learned amicus curiae has filed a case which highlights some important points. One of these issues is pregnancy among women in prison. Currently, 196 children are lodged in various jails in West Bengal. The learned Amicus Curiae recommended that the male staff of the jail be barred from entering the women’s buildings,” the court said.

Council of the T.S. Department Justice Sivagnanam and Justice Supratim Bhattacharya said the case will be heard by the Criminal Division next Monday. In the affidavit, the amicus curiae also said that he visited the prison and found a pregnant woman. He said 15 children were born in prison. The Division Bench added that the amicus curiae filed a brief on 25th January, 2024 and a copy of that brief was filed with the jail. I learned to be the attorney general. The court said: “To effectively resolve all these issues, we think it is better to remit the case to the Honorable Justice with the appointment of an offender.”

According to the Indian Prison Statistics Report 2022 by the National Crime Records Bureau, as of 31 December 2022, there were 1,537 female prisoners and 1,764 children. “As on 31 December 2022, Uttar Pradesh reported the highest number of women with children (325 women and 365 children), followed by Bihar (300 women and 331 children) and West Bengal (160 women and 213 children).