The directions were issued by Chief Justice M B Shah and Justice Y S Jahagirdar on Monday on a petition filed by social activist Sheela Barse seeking protection to victims of sexual assault by officers of correctional institutions and juvenile homes.

The petition alleged that Dr Jatin Walia, running the counselling centre in DSIS, had ``sodomised'' four inmates on May 20 by locking them in a room. The magistrate has been asked to submit statements of the victims to the court. The petitioner also asked if it would be prudent to make political, judicial and administrative authorities ex-officio members of the governing bodies of remand homes, particularly in view of constitutional mandates and the interests of justice and children.

The petitioner has also made State Home Minister Gopinath Munde and Welfare Minister Babanrao Gholap as respondents, as they hold ex-officio posts of president and vice-president respectively in the Children's Aid Society, which runs DSIS.