NEW DELHI: Based on the recommendations of the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR), the high court has closed 1,108 cases being pursued against ‘children in conflict with law’.
The decision was taken as these cases were pending for more than six months at different Juvenile Justice Boards (JJBs), which is against the Juvenile Justice Act.
"In all cases alleging petty offences against children/juveniles, where the inquiry has been pending and remaining inconclusive for more than one year, regardless of whether the subject child/juvenile has been produced before the JJB, all such inquiries shall stand terminated with immediate effect," reads the order issued by the High Court.
According to the DCPCR, under the provisions of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2015, "The inquiry under this section shall be completed within a period of four months from the date of first production of the child before the board, unless the period is extended, for a maximum period of two more months."
The court has further directed that a formal order closing on all such matters shall be passed by the JJBs in each file within two weeks from the date of this order; and any children/juveniles detained in relation to such inquiries, shall be released immediately without waiting for recording the formal orders.
DCPCR chairman Anurag Kundu took the opinion of legal experts on this matter and after conducting an inquiry into the pendency levels of cases at various JJBs, the recommendation was made.
“The stigma faced by the children and the tag of ‘criminal’ when proceedings are being pursued not only adversely affects the mental health of the children but denies them love of their familial and friends,” he asserted.
There are 795 cases pertaining to petty offences committed by juveniles pending for six months to one year before the six JJBs in Delhi.
Around 1,108 such cases are pending for more than one year, taking the total to 1,903 cases, the DCPCR said. The remaining cases will be taken up in the next hearing.