Five-yr-old’s killers produced before Juvenile Justice Board

“A Test Identification Parade (TI Parade) will be done in the meantime by the family members and acquaintances of the deceased victim,Jhumjhum Das. Also,the confessional statement of these two children will be recorded within the next 14 days in front of the Magistrate,according to Article 164 of the CRPC. Unlike cases involving adults,no warrant case will be issued here — no charges will be frame— a plea will just be made in front of the Magistrate,” the public prosecutor added.

The scene in front of the court was tense,as people stopped work and thronged the place to catch a glimpse of the duo. “They were surely not aware of the consequences of what they were doing. Whatever they did,I think they did that without even thinking once,” said Amlan Sengupta.

The two children,neither of whom is aged more than 12,however,seemed unperturbed by the turn of events. They behaved very normally throughout the court proceedings and not once did they show any sign of breaking down or being truly repentant of their grave deed.

“The tendency to imitate any kind of sexual act at this age is quite common. The children are unperturbed because they are almost in a trance; they do not realise what they have done and what is going on around them. They will be counselled at the Dhruv Ashram. Counselling is their need of the moment,” said Baitali Ganguly,one of the Board members and secretary of Jabala,a city-based NGO.

Some lawyers in the court premises were seen discussing the fact that the way these children are dealt with in the court amounts to complete violation of the Juvenile Justice Act of 2000. according to this Act,these children,who are known as ‘Juvenile in Conflict with Law’,should be questioned by the Board in a neutral place and not in the court premises.

Even though these children were questioned in the magistrate’s chamber,and not in the convict’s dock,there has been vilation of the Juvenile Justice Act,said some lawyers who wished to remain anonymous.