Juvenil shot in Noida encounter: Juvenile board orders probe

NOIDA: Hours after the Noida police issued a statement announcing that a juvenile was among two per arrested for allegedly attempting to loot an e-rickshaw on Sunday night, the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) has directed the commissioner of police to initiate an inquiry into the incident by a gazetted officer after the juvenile accused refuted the claims of the police regarding the “encounter”.
The youth who – according to his educational documents – is 17, was arrested after a complaint was received from e-rickshaw driver Ramvir that two people had snatched his vehicle at gunpoint, according to a police statement issued to the media on Monday afternoon. Cops however later claimed his medical examination said he was 19.
“On receiving information about the incident, Phase II police trapped the accused, after which, the accused attempted to open fire at the police with an intention to kill the cops in which policemen managed to survive. In subsequent fire in defence, the two accused were injured,” the statement said adding that two country-made pistols, two dead and two live cartridges each were recovered from the accused along with the e-rickshaw and Rs 150.
Soon after, the investigating officer of the case Manish Kumar produced the juvenile accused before the JJB and sought a 14-day remand.
However, the JJB noted that the police had made multiple violations of the Juvenile Justice (care and protection) Act.
“When the investigating officer was asked about the juvenile’s social background history and who was the child welfare officer deployed at present, he expressed his ignorance. When the juvenile was asked about the incident, he informed the JJB that between 8-9pm on Sunday, he was travelling on an e-rickshaw towards Nangla village when its driver fled the spot leaving the vehicle there. He said he was travelling towards Nangla on foot when two cops came on a bike and started beating me up. Later, three-four cops arrived at the spot in a Bolero and took him inside the vehicle and drove towards the fruit mandi. Here, he and another accused were made to lie on the ground and he was shot at his left leg by the cops, leading to the injury,” reads the order of the JJB issued in connection with the matter on Monday.
The court noted that the “production of the juvenile without the social background history of the juvenile” accused, was “illegal” even as the guidelines of the JJ (care and protection) guidelines, clearly state that no juvenile would be arrested by police.
“The IO has violated the provisions of the juvenile justice act and its guidelines which is highly objectionable. The police commissioner is directed to initiate an inquiry into the allegations of the juvenile and apprise the board with the action taken in the matter,” he said.
However, the board granted the juvenile's remand to police till June 26.
When contacted, DCP (central Noida) Harish Chander however told TOI that the press statement issued on Monday was only based on preliminary information received by cops.
“Later on, a medical examination of the accused was conducted which revealed he was 19 years of age. The press statement was based on one of his documents and his verbal statements but the medical check-up too holds in the court. Whatever the accused has told the board, is a matter of inquiry. If the JJB has issued certain directions, inquiry will be initiated into the case by the commissioner of police from a gazetted officer,” he said.