内容摘要：The couple's families demanded that the case be handed over to the federal police for a proper investigation and met influential caste leaders and federal ministers in their home state to lobby for this.

The couple's families demanded that the case be handed over to the federal police for a proper investigation and met influential caste leaders and federal ministers in their home state to lobby for this.

Authored by Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor, the report found there was "little that was reliable or consistent about life in [many] YOIs".Campbell Robb, chief executive at social justice charity Nacro, said the report was "more evidence that the environment in our YOIs is profoundly harmful for children, many of whom are already extremely vulnerable".

The report found fewer than half of the children in custody felt cared for by staff, while one in three said there was no member of staff they could turn to if they had a problem."This is concerning because staff rely on meaningful, trusting relationships to encourage children to engage with education, health care or offending behaviour programmes, as well as to defuse conflict and violence," it said.According to the report, "there is mounting evidence that relationships between staff and children in custody are a key element in delivering better outcomes".

However, children being locked up for most of the day meant "there was very little time for staff to get to know those in their care".As of March, there were 502 young people detained at YOIs in England and Wales.

"We don't have the power to change a lot and the kids know it," said one YOI staff member.

At Wetherby YOI, children told inspectors it could take up to 45 minutes to get a response after ringing their cell bell, while most wings did not provide opportunities for exercise, association or time for domestic tasks during the week.It also handed the federal government sweeping authority to deploy armed forces in states, declare region-specific Emergencies, and extend President's Rule - direct federal rule - from six months to a year. It also put election disputes out of the judiciary's reach.

This was not yet a presidential system, but it carried its genetic imprint - a powerful executive, marginalised judiciary and weakened checks and balances. The Statesman newspaper warned that "by one sure stroke, the amendment tilts the constitutional balance in favour of the parliament."Meanwhile, Gandhi's loyalists were going all in. Defence minister Bansi Lal urged "lifelong power" for her as prime minister, while Congress members in the northern states of Haryana, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh unanimously called for a new constituent assembly in October 1976.

"The prime minister was taken aback. She decided to snub these moves and hasten the passage of the amendment bill in the parliament," writes Prof Raghavan.By December 1976, the bill had been passed by both houses of parliament and ratified by 13 state legislatures and signed into law by the president.