Mayor’s woes just won’t end

Sandeep Rana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 28

Despite the UT police filing an FIR cancellation report in the Snehalaya case involving Mayor Asha Jaswal and the two BJP councillors, the court today did not accept the report for offences under various Sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) and the Juvenile Justice Act.

“...this court does not have the jurisdiction to deal with offences punishable under Section 23 of the POCSO Act and Section 74 (3) and 87 of the Juvenile Justice Act read with Rule 74 (care and protection of children) and only the 'special court (POCSO Act, 2012) and JJ Board' are competent to deal with the above offences. Hence, the cancellation is not accepted with respect to the above offences...,” said Imanbir Singh Dhaliwal, Judicial Magistrate (first class) in the order. However, the court accepted the cancellation report filed with respect to offences punishable under Sections 332, 353, 342, 228-A, 448, 506, 34 of the IPC at the Maloya police station.

“...as the allegations in the FIR have not been proved and in view of the categorical no objection to the acceptance of cancellation suffered by the complainants, the cancellation report filed in the FIR dated February 4, 2017 is accepted...,” stated the Judicial Magistrate.

Nearly two months after they visited Snehalaya to meet a sodomy victim without the prior permission, the UT police filed an FIR cancellation plea on Friday.