Mangaluru, August 21: Although the authority of arresting a juvenile delinquent is given from the range of police constable to a higher level police officer, after he is taken to the concerned police station, the responsibility of the juvenile delinquent during case investigation and presenting him before the child justice board is the main responsibility of the station child welfare officer said senior Civil Judge- justice N S Patil.
He gave this information in a ‘Children’s case review meeting and information workshop’ organized at the district police community hall with the DK district jurisdiction 13 police station’s child welfare officers, police sub-inspectors, circle inspectors, police sub-divisional officer, and Assistant police Commissioner.
The absence of the concerned station child welfare officer in most of the cases has been noticed while presenting the juvenile delinquents before the child justice board. Such mistakes should not happen. After the arrest of the juvenile delinquent, the investigations should be done in front of the station child welfare officer. Untill the juvenile delinquent will be presented before the child justice board, he has to be present in the custody of station child welfare officer, informed justice N S Patil.
While presenting the arrested juvenile delinquents under 18 years in various cases before the child justice board, it would be better to present the juveniles in front of their parents or close relatives. It is mandatory to provide bail in connection to the cases of Juveniles. But if in some situations if there exists chances of clashes and revolts taking place in the society with the release of juvenile delinquents, the police have to submit reports on this to the board. In such situations, the juvenile delinquents will be sent to the rehabilitation centres in Shimogga. The juvenile delinquents can be charged with maximum of three years of punishment, and in necessary situations to change their mind, they can be sent to the social service or service in hospitals, during term of punishment, explained justice N S Patil.
Since the institution of the Dakshina Kannada district juvenile justice board, trails of 180 cases are pending so far and among this, 100 cases are under inquiry. Once in a week, the investigations of the cases are done at child rehabilitation centre at Bondel, he said.
Under the juvenile justice act, many provisions are provided to correct the mistakes done in childhood. Under this act, after submitting the final reports related to any case, the case inquiry has to be finished in four months. The PSI’s in each station are appointed as the child welfare officer, in their absence ASI has to function as the child welfare officer. They are trained as to how to handle with children in such situations, informed district Superintendent of Police Dr S D Sharanappa.
In D K district, the juvenile cases registered in 2013- is 9, in 2014- is 7 and in 2015 – it is 4. Under the POCSO act in this period, 22, 37 and 41 cases are registered respectively, informed SP Dr S D Sharanappa.
SP Dr Sharanappa also informed that even the media disclosing the names of the children under 18 years of age including the victim and as well as the juvenile delinquents, the names of their parents and their residential address are also crimes.
The program was compeered by Raveena and Somshekar from ADGP office- Gender sensitivity branch, Bengaluru.
Additional police Superintendent Vincent Shantakumar was present.