New Delhi: It’s bizarrely shocking, but true. From 2024 to 2025, 196 children were born in prisons to mothers who are convicted and sentenced in women’s jails across West Bengal. Surprisingly, none of these women were pregnant at the time of their conviction, and father’s identity of none of the children has been established yet. The pertinent question is: Who were these women involved with and how did they get pregnant? A political blame game over the controversy has started.
Almost 196 children have been born within the premises of West Bengal’s women’s prisons. However, none of them have an identified father. The convicted women and prison guards are all women — so who is responsible for making these undertrial or convicted women pregnant? A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Calcutta High Court under the Chief Justice’s bench regarding this.
The High Court has said, “It is interesting to note that women prisoners, while in custody, are getting pregnant. Subsequently, babies are born inside the prisons. At present, 196 babies are staying in different prisons of West Bengal.” On Friday, the Supreme Court took cognisance of the issue of some women prisoners getting pregnant inside the jails in West Bengal.
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Mamata should answer, BJP MLA’s says
Agnimitra Paul, who is a BJP MLA, accused Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the matter and said that, “rape has become the culture of West Bengal now. Mamata Banerjee, who we call Didi, should answer, why is it happening in jails, who are getting involved with women prisoners? What happened to those babies?”
He added that in West Bengal, women are being used for so many things, which is a shameful act. “Mamata Banerjee should resign while her jails are not safe and women are not safe either.”
Trinamool Congress state minister of industry and women and child welfare Dr Sashi Panja said, “I am not aware of this fact, there is minister for jail. I have to check the matter.” Minister Chandranath Sinha said the matter is sub judice. IG jail has reportedly submitted a report to court and investigation is on.
However, the most surprising part of the entire issue is that nobody has been arrested in this matter yet. The question remains: Who is responsible and who is to be blamed for the sorry state of affairs in West Bengal women’s jails?
