A 14-year-old boy from southern Tral township, who was detained by the police in gross violation of the Juvenile Justice Act, was sent to a juvenile home after this newspaper reported about his illegal detention in a lockup.
Superintendent of police Awantipora Muhammad Zahid Malik told Greater Kashmir that the boy was sent to a juvenile home “after questioning”.
“He was questioned about presence of militants at his home and then sent to a juvenile home,” he said.
Taking a serious note of his detention, the chairman of the apex committee for juveniles in Jammu and Kashmir had Monday sought his immediate release, saying he cannot be kept in a lockup as per the law.
Greater Kashmir had exclusively reported about the issue in its Tuesday’s edition.
Justice (retired) Hasnain Masoodi, the chairman of the selection-cum-oversight committee had written to the principal secretary, Home, as well as the additional director general of police (headquarters), who is a nodal officer under the Juvenile Justice Act, to set the juvenile free.
“It is reported that a 14-year-old boy has been detained by police station Tral. The arrest and detention of the boy in the police station is, on the face of it, a gross violation of the Juvenile Justice Act and therefore forbidden under the law. I would request you (to) kindly intervene in the matter, and ensure that the juvenile is let off immediately, unless required to be brought before the Juvenile Justice Board,” Masoodi’s letter read.
Calling for an inquiry into the incident, Justice Masoodi had written: “If the allegation (that a juvenile was detained) is found to be true, action should be taken against the erring officer as per law. I would also suggest that a circular be issued to remind the police (officers) to desist from arresting and detaining a juvenile in future.”
On Saturday, a gunfight broke out at the juvenile’s house in Aripal area of Tral. During the daylong gunfight, his house was razed to the ground but forces failed to retrieve a body from the spot.
Earlier, the family had rejected the forces’ claim that a militant was hiding in their house.
Talking to Greater Kashmir, the juvenile’s mother said: “On Saturday morning a masked army soldier entered our house and asked about presence of a militant. I denied because I knew there was none except me and my children at our home. Within no time, forces opened fire and asked us to vacate.”
“I assured them that there was no militant inside but they did not listen to my pleas and destroyed our house. They deliberately flattened my house and eventually could not find any militant,” she said.