HC asks govt to respond to PIL on juveniles used by gangs

"You (Women and Child Development department) file the reply to the petition," a bench of Chief Justice D Murugesan and Justice V K Jain said and posted the matter for further hearing on April 3.

The court, which had earlier issued notice to Delhi police, was hearing a PIL filed by Anant K Asthana, a lawyer.

The PIL alleged city police have not been taking steps, as mandated under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act, to protect delinquent minors who are being trapped and used by adult hardcore criminals for committing offences.

"State Child Protection Unit and District Child Protection Units which are mandated to be created under the JJ Act are the bodies which are primarily responsible for identification of children who are at risk and for making preventive programmes in order to reach out to children in order to take them in the safety net of State.

"Ironically, State Child Protection Unit in Delhi remains merely as a paper tiger till date and no District Child Protection Units have been created, despite the fact that adequate finances are now available...," it said.

The plea also said the Juvenile Justice Board, in 2011, had issued guidelines for investigation for offences in which minors were used by adult criminals. The police was asked to go after the adult criminals to save juveniles.

However, most of the times, police prefer not to lodge FIRs in cases where minors are caught red handed as they will have to arrest the adult criminals, it said.