Trinidad: School boy sues state

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC - A 13-year-old boy who was arrested last October at school with a bag of "marijuana seeds" that turned out to be ochro seeds, has filed a lawsuit against the State.

Joel Gajadhar claimed he was accused of being a "ganja farmer" and placed in a cell at the Princes Town Police Station reserved for adults.

The breach of constitutional rights suit filed in the San Fernando High Court by attorney Ramesh Deena on Monday, named the two police constables who arrested him.

The boy said he was held at the Princes Town East Secondary School on October 7, 2010, and taken to the cell where "entreatments were made to him to sleep with the men".

He said he shouted for help but was ignored, and since there was no bed or clean mattress, he stood most of the time.

The next day, Gajadhar said he was given no opportunity to brush his teeth, bathe or change out of his school clothes.

Later that morning, he said he was taken out of cell and made to do push up before taken to court.

The Trinidad Express newspaper reported Thursday that the case against the 13-year-old student was dismissed during the third hearing after the Magistrate examined the "exhibit" and determined that the seeds came from a vegetable.