Allahabad High Court
Juvenile -X vs State Of U.P. And Another on 16 August, 2023
Bench: Subhash Chandra Sharma
HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD
?Neutral Citation No. - 2023:AHC:164639
Court No. - 80
Case :- CRIMINAL REVISION No. - 4514 of 2022
Revisionist :- Juvenile -X
Opposite Party :- State of U.P. and Another
Counsel for Revisionist :- Ajay Kumar Pandey
Counsel for Opposite Party :- G.A.,Archana Jha,Pragati,Shaili Ganguly
Hon'ble Subhash Chandra Sharma,J.
Heard learned counsel for the revisionist, learned counsel for the opposite party as well as learned A.G.A. for the State and perused the record.
The present criminal revision has been preferred by the revisionist through his mother with a prayer to allow this revision and set aside the judgment and order dated 04.10.2022 passed by learned Additional Sessions Judge/ Special Judge (POCSO Act), Meerut in Criminal Appeal No. 125 of 2022 as well as order dated 03.09.2022 passed by Juvenile Justice Board, Meerut. Further prayed to release the revisionist on bail in Case Crime No. 132 of 2022 under Section 147, 148, 149, 302, 323 I.P.C., Police Station Jani, District Meerut.
It is submitted by learned counsel for the revisionist that in this case the delinquent was aged about 17 years 5 months and 21 days at the time of alleged incident. It is further submitted that the specific role for causing injuries with knife to the deceased has been assigned to co-accused Abhishek Sharma and Adarsh. Co-accused Prince Kumar and Ayush Tyagi have already been granted regular bail by Co-ordinate Benches of this Court and the role of present delinquent cannot be said to be different from that of co-accused Prince and Ayush Tyagi. It is further submitted that there is nothing adverse against the interest of the delinquent in the report submitted by D.P.O.
It is further submitted that the provisions as contained u/s 12 of the Juvenile Justice Act had not been considered by the Juvenile Justice Board even the report submitted by Probation Officer was also not considered. The appellate court has also not considered all these facts but rejected the appeal without applying its judicial mind and considering the law as contained u/s 12 of the aforesaid Act. He is in Child Care Home since 13.04.2022 i.e. more than one year and his psychology is being affected adversely, therefore, requested to set aside orders passed by the J.J. Board as well as appellate court and allow the criminal revision.
Learned counsel for the opposite party as well as learned A.G.A. opposed the prayer as aforesaid and urged that the bail application of co-accused Adarsh has been rejected by Co-ordinate Bench of this Court and a separate F.I.R. has also been lodged against the co-accused Prince Kumar because he was threatening, therefore, this delinquent is also not liable to be released on bail otherwise he will come in association with co-accused persons those are hardened criminals.
Considering the facts and circumstances of the case, submission made by learned counsel for both the parties as well as learned A.G.A. for the State, the time delinquent remained in Child Care Home, perusal of record, the provisions as contained u/s 12 of Juvenile Justice Act, the report submitted by the Probation Officer, it appears that Juvenile Justice 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 dated 03.09.2022 and the appellate court dated 04.10.2022 are, hereby, set aside and present criminal revision is hereby, allowed.
It is directed that delinquent/applicant be released on bail on executing person bond by the revisionist ( mother 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/ mother 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 mother will ensure that the juvenile will not repeat the offence.
(ii) The revisionist/ mother 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/ mother 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 :- 16.8.2023
Suraj Srivastav
