Allahabad High Court
Juvenile-X vs State Of U.P. And 3 Others on 9 August, 2023
Bench: Subhash Chandra Sharma
HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD
?Neutral Citation No. - 2023:AHC:160056
Court No. - 80
Case :- CRIMINAL REVISION No. - 2598 of 2023
Revisionist :- Juvenile-X
Opposite Party :- State Of U.P. And 3 Others
Counsel for Revisionist :- Dilip Kumar Dubey,Prabhat Kumar Tiwari
Counsel for Opposite Party :- G.A.,Mani Ram Verma,Sudhir Kumar Agarwal
Hon'ble Subhash Chandra Sharma,J.
Heard learned counsel for revisionist, learned A.G.A. for State and perused the record.
The present criminal revision has been preferred by the revisionist through his father under Section 102 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act-2015 (hereinafter referred to as "J.J. Act, 2015) to allow the present revision and set aside the judgment and order dated 19.4.2023 passed by learned Children's Court/Additional Sessions Judge, Maharajganj in Criminal Appeal No. 15 of 2023 as well as order dated 18.3.2023 passed by Juvenile Justice Board, Maharajganj. Further prayed to stay the operation of the aforesaid orders and to release the revisionist on bail in Case Crime No. 18 of 2023, under Sections 363, 366, 376, 506 IPC & Section 3/4 POCSO Act, Police Station Sonauli, District Maharajganj.
It is submitted by learned counsel for the revisionist that in this case, the delinquent was juvenile aged about 16 years, 2 months and 26 days. The victim was aged about 15 years and was not enticed away by the present delinquent. The statement of the victim was recorded by the Investigating Officer under Section 161 Cr.P.C. in which she did not disclose the fact that she was taken away by the present delinquent but she stated clearly that she was beaten by her father that was the reason she went away to Gorakhpur with Rs. 5000/- and then to Lucknow but she was not enticed away by him. Further submitted that when the statement of the victim was recorded under Section 164 Cr.P.C. before the Magistrate, she changed her version and made allegation against the delinquent that she was enticed away by the delinquent to Gorakhpur and then to Lucknow where physical relations were established between both of them. In this way, the statement made by the victim herself before the Investigating Officer and learned Magistrate are contradictory and cannot be said to be reliable. There is nothing adverse to the present delinquent in the report as submitted by the District Probation Officer. The provisions as contained under Section 12 of the Juvenile Justice Act had not been considered by the Juvenile Justice Board as well as appellate court while rejecting the appeal which cannot be said to be in conformity with the law. The delinquent is in Juvenile Care Home since 5.2.2023 and his psychology is being affected adversely, therefore, requested to set aside the order passed by the J.J. Board as well as appellate court and allow the criminal revision.
Learned A.G.A. opposed the aforesaid prayer.
Considering the facts and circumstances of the case, submissions made by learned counsel for the revisionist as well as learned A.G.A., perusal of record, the provisions as contained u/s 12 Juvenile Justice Act and report submitted by the D.P.O. it appears that J.J. Board as well as the appellate court had not considered the relevant provisions and the material on record in well manner but passed the orders without applying their judicial mind. In this way, there appears ground in this revision and the orders passed by the Juvenile Justice Board as well as learned appellate court are liable to be set aside.
Accordingly, the orders passed by Juvenile Justice Board dated18.3.2023 and the appellate court dated19.4.2023 are, hereby, set aside and present Criminal Revision is hereby, allowed.
It is directed that delinquent/applicant be released on bail on executing personal bond by the revisionist (father of the delinquent) and two sureties each in the like amount to the satisfaction of the Juvenile Justice Board concerned on following conditions:-
(i) The revisionist/father will furnish an undertaking that upon release on bail the revisionist will not be permitted to go into contact or association with any known criminal or allowed to be exposed to any moral, physical, or psychological danger and further that the father will ensure that the juvenile will not repeat the offence.
(ii) The revisionist/father will further furnish an undertaking to the effect that the juvenile will pursue his study at the appropriate level which he would be encouraged to do besides other constructive activities and not be allowed to waste his time in unproductive and excessive recreational pursuits.
(iii) Juvenile and the revisionist/father will report to the Probation Officer on the first Monday of every calendar month.
(iv) The Probation Officer will keep a strict vigil on the activities of the juvenile and regularly draw up his social investigation report that would be submitted to the Juvenile Justice Board, concerned on such a periodical basis as the Juvenile Justice Board may determine.
Order Date :- 9.8.2023
A. Singh
