The Juvenile Justice Board has granted the Pune police’s request to review its May 19 order, which had granted bail to a 17-year-old driver accused of killing two techies from Madhya Pradesh.
“A committee will be set up under Section 15 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act to monitor the teenager at the observation home and carry out psychological tests and counselling,” stated ACP (East) Manoj Patil.
Section 15 authorizes the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) to conduct a preliminary inquiry to decide whether a child in conflict with the law should be rehabilitated or tried as an adult. “Based on this committee’s report, a decision will be made on whether the teenager should be treated as an adult for trial in the accident case,” Patil added.
Special assistant public prosecutor Monali Kale explained, “We had primarily argued that the teenager needed proper rehabilitation as he was addicted to alcohol. Considering his young age and future, he can be referred to a psychiatrist for counselling as and when required. Additionally, there was a threat to his life if he remained outside the observation home.”
Lawyer Prashant Patil, representing the teenager, mentioned that the JJB announced the operative part of its order on Wednesday evening, with the full text to be released later. “We opposed the police’s plea to send the boy to an observation home. Now that the board has given its order, we will examine it and consult our client on moving an appeal before a higher court.”
The JJB had originally granted the teenager’s release under specific conditions. He was required to visit the RTO to study rules and regulations, and submit a report within 15 days. The board also tasked him with writing a 300-word essay on “effect of road accidents and their solution” and assisting an RTO officer to study and practice traffic rules for 15 days. Additionally, he was to undergo external de-addiction counselling and psychological consultation with a doctor at the state-run Sassoon General Hospital. These conditions, particularly the essay, sparked nationwide outrage.