Juvenile board member demands reshuffle in deputation of police
In order to keep tabs on corruption, a member of the Dongri Juvenile Board has submitted a letter to Sanjay Saxena, the Joint Commissioner of Police (crime), proposing a reshuffle in deputation of juvenile police officers. The member has alleged that there is a nexus between the juvenile police officers and the private advocates.
In the letter, Dipak Chattopadhyay, member of the Juvenile Justice Board and advocate of the Bombay High Court, said “I have observed that there is a very good connection between private advocates and juvenile police officers in Mumbai. The juvenile accused are all accompanied by private advocates inside the Dongri court. The juvenile police officers have been taking commission from private advocates to provide them clients who are represented by the private advocates. So, the poor and needy people are not getting proper legal aid through free legal aid as stated under the Juvenile Justice Act. I request you to take necessary steps and implement a rotation in postings of juvenile officers in the same way like the Mumbai police traffic department has implemented it to keep checks on corruption.” Speaking to the Free
Press Journal, Chattopadhyay alleged, “Most of the juvenile police officers have been posted at the same police stations for the last five years. There is a woman juvenile police officer and a male police officer designated at every police station in Mumbai. The woman police officer has the task of dealing with juvenile cases of only minor girls and the male officer is in charge of cases of minor boys. At Dongri, Matunga, Mahim, Sion, Wadala Truck Terminal and Dharavi police stations, the juvenile officers have not been reshuffled for the last five years. This has resulted in a nexus between the private advocates and juvenile officers. Just like the traffic department has implemented that there will be a reshuffle every six months at the lower ranks, similarly it should be implemented by the Juvenile Aid Protection Unit( JAPU).”
“Every police station has been issued a list of 10 names o free legal aid advocates who need to be contacted in cases of minor boys and girls. However, this rule is not being followed as the Juvenile Justice Act and the juvenile officers directly contact the private advocates so that they can earn commission up to 50%.
At the Dongri court, the private advocates and juvenile officers are seen lunching together everyday, “added Chattopadhyay.
Saxena confirmed, “We have received the letter from Dipak Chattopadhyay. The matter has been forwarded to the Juvenile Aid Protection Unit.”