Children can’t wait forever to get justice: Delhi child rights body chief

New Delhi: Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) Chairman Anurag Kundu has welcomed the recent Delhi High Court’s order on the squashing of petty crime cases against minors and said these children can’t wait forever to get justice.

Recently, the Delhi HC junked 1,108 criminal cases against minors for non-completion of trial by the Juvenile Justice Board (Children’s Court) related to petty offences committed by minors.

After the court’s decision, criminal cases against 1,108 children have ended.

Criminal cases against 795 children will be decided in the next hearing by the High Court. All these cases are pending between six months to one year.

The court has sought a response from the DCPCR and will pronounce an order soon on this matter.

According to the DCPCR, a total of 2,773 children are being tried for minor offences, 1,282 children for serious crimes and 1,683 children are facing tial in heinous crime cases.

Welcoming the decision, Anurag Kundu told IANS, “There are laws and policies related to children which must be implemented, the DCPCR will ensure that the Delhi HC order is strictly implemented not only on paper but also in reality. Apart from this, it is important that if any child needs rehabilitation then the DCPCR will help him/her.”

He said even during the Covid-19 crisis, minor crime cases increased considerably. Now all those children against which criminal cases have been squashed, they will be able to start their life afresh.

According to the Delhi child rights body, as many as 1,320 cases were pending in the six juvenile courts of the national capital till December 31, 2020 which increased to 1,903 cases till June 30, 2021. This should not have taken place.

Of these criminal cases against minors, investigation of 795 cases of petty crimes are pending between six months to one year and 1,108 cases for more than one year. The Juvenile Court in Delhi has been told that there has been an increase of nearly 44 per cent criminal cases against children in the last six months. – IANS