DCW asks JJB to delay juvenile's release

Distraught parents of the December 16 gangrape victim today made a last ditch appeal to stop the release of the juvenile convict, even as DCW has urged authorities to delay the process since the matter is coming up before Supreme Court tomorrow.
"We are helpless as far as the release is concerned. Our government, whether Centre or state, they only listen to you when you protest and get lathicharged, else they don't care," said the victim's father Badri Singh Pandey.
Asha Devi, the victim's mother said, "If he (the juvenile convict) comes out then what is the point of a court hearing or anything... All knew that he will be released, so adequate steps should have been taken in the past three years. I want justice. He should not be released."

The parents continued their protest in the national capital demanding that the juvenile be not set free.
Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chairperson Swati Maliwal has urged the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) against going ahead on the release of the juvenile convict who was taken to an undisclosed location yesterday, a day before he was to be released.
Writing to Murari Prasad Singh, the Principal Magistrate at JJB-II, Maliwal said, "This is to bring to your kind notice that the DCW has moved a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in Supreme Court last night challenging the imminent release of the juvenile boy in the gangrape case.

"The matter has been listed in Supreme Court for tomorrow and is thus sub-judice... I request you to kindly not precipitate the matter until the same is heard by Supreme Court tomorrow."

Maliwal had approached Supreme Court seeking a stay on the release of the juvenile convict, who is now 20-years-old, and said to have been the most brutal of the five rapists.
According to sources, the release order of the juvenile convict was prepared at least a day before he was moved out of the correctional home.
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Meanwhile, the victim's mother dubbed the DCW's late night efforts as "just for show", prompting Maliwal to respond that the consultations with the legal team resulted in the delay in filing of the Special Leave Petition (SLP).

"It was after a meeting with the Vice President that we realised that nothing was happening and I started knocking all other doors. Our efforts were genuine and we took all possible steps to stop the juvenile's release. I am sad to know that our efforts are being seen as pretense," said the DCW chief.
The juvenile was moved out of Delhi yesterday and sent to an undisclosed location outside the city, amid protests by several student groups, activists and the victim's parents, following which they were also briefly detained by the police.
In an order pronounced at 2 AM today, the Supreme Court declined to stay the release of the juvenile convict and posted the matter for hearing on Monday.