Juvenile Justice

Justice on hold for 50,000 kids as juvenile system strains: Report

A new India Justice Report says over 50,000 children in conflict with the law await case outcomes, with half pending before understaffed Juvenile Justice Boards, exposing major systemic gaps

50,000 children await justice as juvenile boards battle backlog: Report

More than 50,000 children in conflict with the law remain stuck in a slow-moving justice system where over half the cases are pending at 362 Juvenile Justice Boards (JJBs), according to a new India Justice Report (IJR) study released on Thursday. Despite ten years of the Juvenile Justice Act coming into force, glaring gaps, ranging from missing judges, under-inspected homes, absent data systems and wide state-level disparities continue to afflict justice delivery, the study said. The report, Juvenile Justice and Children in Conflict with the Law: A Study of Capacity at the Frontlines, shows that as of October 31, 2023, 55 per cent of 100,904 cases before JJBs were pending, with pendency ranging from 83 per cent in Odisha to 35 per cent in Karnataka. Though 92 per cent of India's 765 districts have constituted JJBs, one in four boards operates without a full bench. On average, each JJB carried a backlog of 154 cases. The findings come against the backdrop of 40,036 juveniles being .

Pune Porsche case: Police challenge JJB's refusal to try accused as adult

An officer from Pune Police confirmed that after securing the necessary approval from the district collector, the police approached the sessions court to contest the JJB order

Pune Porsche crash case: 17-year-old accused to be tried as juvenile

The Juvenile Justice Board on Tuesday said the 17-year-old boy accused of driving a Porsche car in an inebriated state and mowing down two persons last year in Pune will be tried as a juvenile. The incident, which hit national headlines, took place in Kalyani Nagar area on May 19 last year, resulting in the deaths of motorcycle-borne IT professionals Anish Awadhiya and his friend Ashwini Costa. The Pune police had last year sought that the accused be tried as an adult, saying he committed a "heinous" act as not only were two persons crushed to death but there were also attempts to tamper with the evidence. On Tuesday, the Juvenile Justice Board rejected the police's plea to treat the accused boy as an adult, as per the defence counsel. The accused teenager got bail hours after the accident on May 19 last year. The lenient bail terms, including asking the minor to write a 300-word essay on road safety, triggered a nationwide firestorm, following which he was sent to an observation

Eight held, including two juveniles, in teen's stabbing case in Delhi

Delhi Police has apprehended eight people, including two juveniles, in connection with the fatal stabbing of a 17-year-old boy in northeast Delhi's Seelampur area, officials said on Sunday. The eight accused were arrested on Saturday. Six of them were identified as Sahil (18), Sohaib (35), Nafish (32), Aneesh (19), Zahida (42) and Vikas (29), they said. On April 18, Zikra (19), who worked as a bouncer for jailed gangster Hashim Baba's wife, was arrested and sent to two-day police custody in the case, a senior police officer said. Kunal, a resident of New Seelampur, was stabbed to death in J-Block, Jhuggi Seelampur, on the evening of April 17. He was rushed to JPC Hospital by his family members, where doctors declared him dead. "Zikra, Sahil and the two juveniles conspired and carried out the fatal attack while the other five were involved in harbouring and helping the main accused escape," a senior official said. A case under sections 103(1) (murder) and 3(5) (common intention) of

A 23-yr-old injustice corrected: SC frees man sentenced to death as a minor

The Supreme Court has freed a man sentenced to death as a minor, acknowledging judicial errors and ordering rehabilitation after 23 years behind bars

Porsche crash case: 2 members of JJB removed after accused minor gets bail

The Maharashtra government has terminated the services of two members of the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) here in connection with bail given to a juvenile accused in the Pune Porsche crash case, officials said on Thursday. A probe panel of the state Women and Child Development (WCD) Department had recommended action against the two members - L N Danwade and Kavita Thorat - for alleged "procedural lapses, misconduct and non-compliance with norms". WCD Department Commissioner Prashant Narnavare told PTI, "I had given the probe panel report to the state government and recommended that the appointment of the two members should be terminated." "The report, recommending the termination, was sent to the state government in July. The state government on Tuesday terminated the appointment of both the members as they were found guilty of misusing their powers, which have been provided under the Juvenile Justice Act," he said. A notification, dated October 8, issued by the state government ..

Porsche case: Pune police to move SC against release of accused juvenile

Pune police are planning to approach the Supreme Court against the Bombay High Court order for the release of a 17-year-old boy allegedly involved in the Porsche car accident here in May, a senior official said on Monday. The HC on June 25 directed that the boy be released immediately, saying the Juvenile Justice Board's (JJB) orders remanding him to an observation home were illegal and the law regarding juveniles must be implemented fully. The teenager, who got bail hours after the accident on May 19, was sent to the observation home in Maharashtra's Pune city three days later following an outcry. After the HC order last week, the juvenile was released from the observation home and his custody was handed over to his paternal aunt. The order was passed on a petition filed by the boy's aunt, who claimed he was illegally detained. The Pune police are planning to approach the Supreme Court against the Bombay HC order, Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar told PTI on Monday. As per t

Porsche case: Panel probing JJB members over minor's bail finds lapses

A committee formed to probe the conduct of two JJB members in connection with the bail given to the minor accused in the Pune Porsche crash case has found "procedural lapses", "misconduct" and "non compliance of norms", a senior official said on Saturday. On May 19, two IT professionals were killed in Kalyani Nagar here after their motorcycle was hit by a speeding Porsche car allegedly driven by a minor in an inebriated condition. The case caused a national uproar after the Juvenile Justice Board gave bail to the accused on very lenient terms, including writing a 300-word essay on road safety. "The five-member committee submitted its report on Friday to the Women and Child Development department commissioner. The WCD department, after receipt of the report, has issued notices to two JJB members who were appointed by the department," the official told PTI on the condition of anonymity. "The report has found glaring lapses and mistakes while issuing the bail order by a single member

Pune car crash: No relief for teen driver, home remand extended till Jun 25

The Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) here on Wednesday extended till June 25 the observation home remand of a 17-year-old boy allegedly involved in a car crash that killed two IT engineers in Pune last month. The Pune police through prosecutors sought the extension of the juvenile's custody for another 14 days at the observation home citing his safety. He was in the observation home remand till June 12. They also told the board that the teen's release at the current juncture may hinder the ongoing investigation into the case and other related matters, including alleged swapping of his blood samples taken after the May 19 accident. The defence opposed the Pune police's remand extension plea and told the board the minor must be released from the observation facility. After hearing arguments of both sides, the JJB extended the boy's stay at the observation home till June 25. The Porsche car driven by the teenager, son of builder Vishal Agrawal, crashed into a motorbike in the early hour

Pune crash: Juvenile Justice Board extends remand of minor till June 12

Pune Porsche crash case: The minor teen was remanded to an observation home for juveniles on May 22, and his remand ended on Wednesday (June 5)

Pune car crash: Police move JJB to seek extension of teen's remand

The Pune police have moved an application before the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) seeking extension for 14 days the remand of a 17-year-old boy allegedly involved in a car crash which claimed two lives, an official said on Wednesday. The remand of the juvenile, who is lodged at an observation home here, ends on Wednesday. "We have moved an application before the JJB seeking the extension of his remand at the observation home for another 14 days," a Pune crime branch official said. A hearing is scheduled on Wednesday before the JJB on the Pune police's plea. Two IT professionals were killed in the early hours of May 19 in Kalyani Nagar of Maharashtra's Pune city after a Porsche allegedly driven by the juvenile rammed into their two-wheeler. The police claim the juvenile was under the influence of alcohol at that time. The JJB had granted bail to the teenager, son of a real estate developer, a few hours after the incident and asked him to write a 300-word essay on road ...

Pune case: Police seek approval from Juvenile Justice Board to probe minor

The Pune police have written to the Juvenile Justice Board seeking permission to probe the minor allegedly involved in the Porsche crash that left two techies dead, an official said on Friday. Police claim the 17-year-old was driving the luxury car in an inebriated state when it met with the fatal accident in the city's Kalyani Nagar area on May 19. He is in an observation home till June 5. We have written to the JJ Board and sought their permission to allow us to probe the minor, said Shailesh Balkawade, additional commissioner of police (crime). The JJB granted bail to the teenager, son of builder Vishal Agarwal, few hours after the crash and asked him a write a 300-word essay on road safety. Amid heavy criticism, police again approached the JJB, which modified the order and sent him to an observation home till June 5. The minor's father and grandfather have been arrested for allegedly wrongfully confining their family driver, luring him with cash and gifts and later threatening

CJI calls for international collaboration to combat juvenile cybercrimes

Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud on Saturday said juvenile justice systems must adapt by enhancing international cooperation and sharing best practices to tackle growing transnational digital crimes involving minors, amidst the rapid evolution of technology. Chandrachud is here on a three-day official visit to Nepal at the invitation of Chief Justice of Nepal Bishwombhar Prasad Shrestha. Addressing a National Symposium on Juvenile Justice, Chief Justice Chandrachud said, "When discussing juvenile justice, we have to recognise the vulnerabilities and unique needs of children embroiled in legal conflicts and ensure that our justice systems respond with empathy, rehabilitation, and opportunities for reintegration into society." It is crucial to grasp the multifaceted nature of juvenile justice and its intersections with various dimensions of the societies, he said. Chandrachud said with technology evolving rapidly, juveniles are diving into cybercrimes like hacking, cyberbullyin

Rising rate of juvenile delinquency in India a matter of concern: SC

The Supreme Court on Wednesday expressed concern over rising rate of crimes involving juvenile accused, saying it needed immediate attention and that it was up to the government to revisit the benevolent juvenile justice law. The observations came from a bench of justices Ajay Rastogi and J B Pardiwala which held Shubam Sangra, one of the key accused in the sensational gang-rape and murder case of an eight-year-old nomadic girl in Kathua in 2018, was not a minor at the time of offence and ordered his trial as an adult. The top court also quoted American musician Kurt Cobain in its 66-page judgement. Rape is one of the most terrible crimes on earth and it happens every few minutes. The problem with groups who deal with rape is that they try to educate women about how to defend themselves. What really needs to be done is teaching men not to rape. Go to the source and start there, the court said quoting the musician. Before we close this matter, we would like to observe that the risin

1340 cases of crime against children by caretakers during 2017-19: Govt

As many as 1,340 cases of crime against children by caretakers and in-charges of juvenile homes were registered in the country between 2017 and 2019

Parliament passes amendment Bill to strengthen juvenile justice law

The Bill was passed by Lok Sabha in March 2021.

Bill to amend juvenile justice law comes up for consideration in LS

Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani on Wednesday moved an amendment bill in Lok Sabha to strengthen the provisions relating to protection and adoption of children

Bill to amend juvenile justice law introduced in Lok Sabha

The bill seeks to increase the role of district magistrates and additional district magistrates

Cabinet nod to juvenile law changes to increase scrutiny of childcare homes

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved amendments to the juvenile justice law to increase the scrutiny of child care institutions