law: Children Act, 1960
  22. Orders that may not be passed
  
  against delinquent children
  (1) Notwithstanding
  
  anything to the contrary contained in any other law for the time being in
  
  force, no delinquent child shall be sentenced to death or imprisonment, or
  
  committed to prison in default of payment of fine or in furnishing security:
  Provided that where a child who
  
  has attained the age of fourteen years has committed an offence and the
  
  children's court is satisfied that the offence committed is of so serious a
  
  nature or that his conduct and behavior have been such that it would not be in his
  
  interest or in the interest of other children in a special school to send him
  
  to such special school and that none of the other measures provided under this
  
  Act is suitable or sufficient, the children's court may order the delinquent
  
  child to be kept in safe custody in such place and manner as it thinks fit and
  
  shall report the case for the orders of the Administrator.
  (2) On receipt of a
  
  report from a children's court under sub-section (1), the Administrator may
  
  make such arrangement in respect of the child as he deems proper and may order
  
  such delinquent child to be detained at such place and on such conditions as he
  
  thinks fit:
  Provided that the
  
  period of detention so ordered shall not exceed the maximum period of
  
  imprisonment to which the child could have been sentenced for the offence
  
  committed.