U.N. officials said courts should take into account factors such as a woman’s lack of criminal history and her caretaking responsibilities. Women who commit petty offences should not be jailed and under-18s only as a last resort, they said.

If the Sadhvi indeed struggled with critical health complications while in jail, how can those moved by her plight approve of other women enduring similar fate?

As per a 2015 report from National Crime Bureau Record (NCRB), there are a total of 1,401 jails of which only 18 are women jails.

Maharashtra State Commission for Women recently conducted research on jails around the state and the condition of women prisoners. One of its key findings is that women prisoners can’t leave jail even after magistrates have granted them bail because they cannot pay the surety money. In Maharashtra, as many as 23 women are still in […]