Ghaziabad police arrest minor, say he looked like a major

The Ghaziabad police arrested a minor boy who was then sent to jail. He got bail six days later after his family produced his date of birth documents and school certificates.

In a major goof-up, the Ghaziabad police arrested a minor boy who was then sent to jail. The boy got bail six days later after his family produced his date of birth and school certificates. The incident took place at the Khoda police station in Ghaziabad on the night of April 22.

The 12-year-old boy was sent to the Dasna jail for six days.

According to the minor’s father, he purchased a plot in Khoda on March 1, but a man laid claim over the land. Following an altercation, both the parties were taken to the police station and let off with a warning.

“After this altercation, I filed a civil suit. However, the other person lodged a police complaint against me, my son and other family members on April 23 for attempt to murder, rioting, trespassing and other offences,” said the father, who works as a guard in a Noida company.

“On the night of April 22, nearly 35 policemen reached my house and misbehaved with my wife and took away my minor son and his cousin. We told the police that my son is minor but they did not listen and he was sent to the Dasna jail. Later, an FIRwas lodged against us,” the father said.

The family said the boy’s birth and school certificates prove that he was born on November 13, 2004.

“Later, we applied for bail and my son was released on bail on April 29,” he said.

Asked about the incident, circle officer Atul Kumar Yadav (Indirapuram) said an inquiry will be carried out in the matter.

“The matter has come to my notice and is being forwarded to senior superintendent of police for investigation.

When the arrest was made, the boy looked like a major. The family did not tell the police about his age. They did not disclose the boy’s age even in the court or the Dasna jail.

Some of the persons named in the FIR have past cases against them and had fired to capture the plot,” said Yadav.

“But we will carry out an investigation as per the procedure and guidelines laid down for minors,” he said.

The FIR lodged against the minor and his family members names nine persons. Seven unidentified persons are also mentioned in the FIR. The FIR, lodged under nine IPC sections and provisions of the Criminal Law Amendment Act, names the minor boy.

Superintendent of police Salman Taj said, “The issue has come to my knowledge and the matter is being forwarded to the senior superintendent of police for inquiry.”