Grab of a report carried by The Telegraph

Guwahati, Dec. 20: The New Delhi-based Legal Assistance Forum has decided to approach Gauhati High Court over the “pathetic and sub-human condition” of the state observation and shelter home for juvenile and destitute boys at Fatasil Ambari here.

The decision was taken after delegates of the forum visited the observation home this afternoon and saw for themselves the sub-human conditions in which 90 children are spending their days.

In fact, shortly after the delegates’ visit today, two inmates of the home fled, said superintendent Nilima Devi.

The forum, an association of socially-committed lawy-ers, academicians, students and other like-minded people, is likely to visit the other shelters from tomorrow.

The chief judicial magistrate of Kamrup, Aruna Debi, who is heading the Juvenile Justice Board, also visited the Fatasil Ambari home today.

Vijay Hansaria, president of the forum, said his association was already fighting a case in the high court against the conditions of observation homes for juveniles and destitutes.

“The forum visited the juvenile observation home in Jorhat on June 21 this year. After observing its pathetic condition, we filed a representation to the chief justice of Gauhati High Court with a plea to issue necessary instructions to the gover-nment,” he said.

The forum distributed blankets and sandals among the inmates of the Fatasil Ambari home.

They also organised a health camp for them.

Hansaria said the forum decided to visit the children’s homes in the city after going through the recent series of reports published in The Telegraph, highlighting the poor conditions of children’s homes in the city.

The Telegraph had recently carried out an investigation into the condition of all the 11 children’s homes here.