The Maharashtra Women and Child Development department will conduct workshops to sensitize Juvenile Justice Board members about the Juvenile Justice Act, PTI reported. The move comes in the wake of criticism received after the JJB granted bail to the main accused in the Pune Porsche car accident case.
Two IT professionals in their 20s died in the early hours of May 19 in Kalyani Nagar here after their two-wheeler was hit by a speeding Porsche, allegedly driven by an intoxicated minor.
After the minor was granted bail, the WCD department set up a five-member committee to investigate the conduct of the JJB. Each district has a three-member Juvenile Justice Board.
Two members of the board are appointed by the state government, while one member comes from the judiciary.
“After the incident, we have issued new guidelines for JJB members. I visited five districts namely Nashik, Ahmednagar, Nanded, Solapur and Akola. Met JJB members appointed by the state government and conducted sessions advice on the JJ Act and its effective implementation,” Women and Child Development Department Commissioner Dr Prashant Narnavare said on Friday, according to the PTI report.
“The WCD department has prepared a syllabus on the JJ Act, which will serve as a guide for JJB members. Starting next month, we, in collaboration with the Mahatma Gandhi Training Institute (MGTI), will begin training sessions. training for JJB and Child Members of the Social Welfare Committee (CWC),” Narnavare said.
The role of JJB and CWC members is dual, one related to the judicial aspect and the other to rehabilitation, he said.
“All members know their roles, but through this sensitization programme, we will once again review their roles within the legal framework and clarify what they are supposed to do in specific situations. The Collector and Chief District Judge (PDJ ) supervise the JJBs in their respective districts, we are asking them to review the JJBs monthly and quarterly,” he stated.
JJB members should not feel that they are out of supervision as they are supervised by the collector and DPJ of each district, Narnavare said, adding that the collector conducts a review every month and the DPJ every three months.
“The awareness programs include all aspects and points related to the JJ Act. We are also providing awareness on the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act, Child Marriage Act, child labor laws and how to rehabilitate children in conflict with the law (CCL) by developing rehabilitation plans to ensure that they do not return to criminal activity,” he explained, according to the report.
These awareness workshops have already been held in Nanded, Nashik, Akola, Solapur and Parbhani districts, which involved covering points after the car accident, the WCD commissioner said.