No special officers to probe cases involving kids: CBI

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 22

The Central Bureau of Investigation has admitted that it does not have officers specially trained to undertake investigation, involving children. The admission by the premier investigation agency was made before Gurugram Juvenile Justice Board as well the appellate authority.

Taking a note of the admission, Justice Daya Chaudhary of the Punjab and Haryana High Court asserted: “It is clear that the Central Bureau of Investigation does not have such an infrastructure to conduct the investigation for reaching to its logical conclusion keeping in view the special provisions of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.”

The assertion came during the hearing of a petition filed in the Gurugram schoolboy murder case by accused christened as Bholu. He had challenged the impugned order vide which he was to be tried as an adult. Finding faults with the orders, Justice Chaudhary asserted that case fell in the category of heinous offence. The petitioner, being more than 16 years on the date of commission of offence, was required to be dealt with as per provisions of the Act for making preliminary assessment whether the child in conflict with law was to be tried as an adult.

Justice Chaudhary added a copy of list of witnesses and other documents were not supplied to the petitioner, his parents or guardian in the present case, which itself showed that the board as well as the appellate court decided the case without application of mind.