KOLKATA: The West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights (WBCPCR) and four of its counter-parts from other states and unuion territories — Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan and Chandigarh — have written to the Centre demanding restoration of cognisability of seven serious offences that were made non-cognisable by the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Act, 2021.
They have decided to wait for five to six weeks for a reply from the Centre and if they do not receive any communication, they will move to the Supreme Court against it.
“Due to the amendment, the offences against the children under JJ Act that have punishment for more than three years and less than seven years (serious offences) have been made non-cognisable now. Non-cognisable means no FIR without special permission of a judicial magistrate, the onus of which is on the aggrieved. Police can only file a general diary and not an FIR. This means that no automatic investigation will take place without an FIR,” said WBCPCR chairperson Ananya Chakraborti.
The seven offences that have been made non-cognisable are inflicting cruelty to children by child care home staff, employing children for begging, giving intoxicating liquor or narcotic drug to children, using children for drug peddling, exploitation of a child employee, sale and procurement of children for any purpose and use of children by militant groups or other adults for legal and illegal purpose.
