State special juvenile police units reconstituted in Assam

 Government bars keeping children in police stations for long hours

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The State Government has issued a notification ordering the police not to keep any child on police station premises overnight or for long hours in the name of an investigation, and the police should take a lady officer while dealing with girl children.

The Home and Political Department of the State Government reconstituted the Special Juvenile Police Units (SJPUs) as per the provisions of Section 107(2) of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, and Rule 86(1) of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Model Rules, 2016. The department has notified Bajali, Baksa, Barpeta, Biswanath, Bongaigaon, Cachar, Charaideo, Chirang, Guwahati City, Darrang, Dhemaji, Dhubri, Dibrugarh, Dima Hasao, Goalpara, Golaghat, GRP, Hailakandi, Hamren, Hojai, Jorhat, Kamrup, Karbi Anglong, Karimganj, Kokrajhar, Majuli, Morigaon, Nagaon, Nalbari, North Lakhimpur, Sivasagar, Sonitpur, South Salmara, Tamulpur, Tinsukia, Udalguri, and Sadiya (police district) districts as SJPUs.

According to the notification, each special juvenile police unit will have a nodal officer of the rank of DSP or above as head, besides the members: (1) Child Welfare Police Officers (CWPO) designated under Section 107 (1) of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, of each police station, including that of GRP, and (2) two social workers, having experience working in the field of child rights, of which one should be a woman, preferably from the District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) of the district.

The notification have some guidelines like (i) availability of lady police officer/staff, especially when dealing with girl children, (ii) in all cases related to victims or children who come in conflict with law, the procedures and provisions of the laws are strictly implemented, including procedural safeguards, timely investigation etc., (iii) no child shall be kept within the premises of the Police Station overnight or for long hours, (iv) avoidance of apprehension or custody of children after 8 pm, and for emergency situations arrange for overnight protective stay of children in a child care institution, in consultation with District Child Protection Unit, District Child Welfare Committee and District Juvenile Justice Board, (v) maintaining of a database of cases and trial outcomes (convictions and acquittals), etc.

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