New Delhi, March 21 (IANS): The Delhi High Court on Tuesday sought response from the city government on a plea seeking separate shelter homes for children below the age of 12 years to protect them from sexual assaults.

A division bench of Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal asked the Aam Aadmi Party government here to file their response by May 4.

The public interest litigation (PIL) said in Delhi there is not a single camp for children which is independent of the adult homeless persons who take shelter during the night.

Children below the age of 12 years both male and female will be exploited if they are sheltered together with the adults, the plea said.

It added that those adults who take shelters came in inebriated condition giving rise to every possibility that they will harass the children. 

"Hence it would be proper if homeless children are given separate shelters," said the plea filed by a social worker Salek Chand Jain.

Advocate Sugriva Dubey, appearing for Jain, claimed that there is no supervision by the competent persons in these shelters and as a result children are subjected to physical torture and cruelty. 

Even drug addicts enter these shelters and molest young girls and women but authorities take no action, he contended.

The plea also stated various incidents of sexual assaults on children and women. It also sought direction to the Arvind Kejriwal-led government that homeless persons be given proper medical assistance and nutritious food.