Appoint special officer for juvenile cases: SC

The Supreme Court on Thursday directed appointment of a special officer in every police station across the country to deal with minors who end up in custody due to their involvement in crime.

The Supreme Court on Thursday directed appointment of a special officer in every police station across the country to deal with minors who end up in custody due to their involvement in crime.

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A bench headed by Chief Justice Altamas Kabir also directed that the police must register FIR and conduct probe in every case of missing child and ordered constitution of a unit comprising specially trained police officers in each district to handle cases involving juveniles. It said that such officers would be in plain clothes and work in coordination with Child Welfare Committees.

The court’s order came on a PIL filed by an NGO Bachpan Bachao Andolan alleging that for over 1.7 lakh children have gone missing in the country between January 2008-2010.

The apex court had on March 16 last issued notice to the Centre, states and Union Territories directing them to file their responses on the issue of missing children.