Bhondsi violence: Cops in dock for arresting minors

GURGAON: The Juvenile Justice Board (JJB), Gurgaon, on Friday asked the Gurgaon Police to hold erring police officers accountable for ‘wrongly apprehending’ two minors in connection with the violence in Bhondsi on January 24. After apprehending them, the police had applied for their discharge, claiming the minors had no role in the vandalism.

A mob stoned a school bus and set on fire a Haryana Roadways bus for demanding a ban on the release controversial Sanjay Leela Bhansali film ‘Padmaavat’.

The juveniles were among eight people held in connection with the violence.

The JJ Board also recommended that the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) should take necessary action against Gurgaon Police for their ‘negligence’ in the matter.

The order, issued by Davender Singh, principal magistrate, JJ Board, read: “Above discussion is sufficient to show that police officials acted in a negligent manner and apprehended two juveniles who are not involved in any criminal activity (sic).”

Singh on Friday held a hearing on an application filed by Gurgaon Police on February 9, seeking discharge of the two minors, saying they had been ‘wrongly apprehended’ from Bhondsi.

The minors were booked under multiple charges, including attempt to murder, rioting, snatching, damaging government property and preventing government employees from discharging their duty.

In his response to the show cause notice issued by the JJ Board in connection with the Bhondsi arrests, Umesh Kumar, station house officer (SHO) of Bhondsi police station, said the family members of the minors met senior police officers and presented facts to justify their innocence.

The SHO said that on investigation, it was found that the residence of one of the apprehended minors was near the scene of violence. He said the distance between the juvenile’s house and the place of occurrence was 700 metres.

“According to the statement recorded by the parents of one of the minors, he was with his sister at her tutor’s between 3.30pm and 4.30pm on the day of the incident. Though the juvenile was at the spot at the time of the incident, he wasn’t found to be involved in any criminal activity,” a member of the JJ Board said.