Juvenile Justice Board asks police commissioner to investigate encounter involving a ‘minor’

The Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) on Monday wrote to the Noida commissioner of police to investigate an alleged encounter by Phase 2 police on June 14 involving a

The Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) on Monday wrote to the Noida commissioner of police to investigate an alleged encounter by Phase 2 police on June 14 involving a 17-year-old boy. The Noida police, however, said the suspect is not a minor and is 19-year-old. They added the age difference was caused by a discrepancy in his identity card.

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According to a statement released by the police department on June 15, the Phase 2 police had arrested two suspected robbers, including the boy, following an encounter on Sunday which had left the two injured. Police officers had said the duo had allegedly stolen an e-rickshaw from a man at gunpoint. They added that the two were arrested after being chased by a police team after the alleged robbery. The two had fired at the team and were injured in the retaliatory firing, the police added. The boy had received injuries on his right leg.

The two had been booked under section 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code. The boy was produced before the JJB on Monday and was sent to judicial custody.

In an order passed by JJB member Aneet Bhagel on June 15, a copy of which is with HT, the boy will be kept in judicial custody till June 26, while the commissioner of police has been directed to have the matter investigated by a gazetted officer and present the findings to the board.

The police department has denied the boy was a minor. “The official medical report has put his age at 19 years and he is not a minor. There was a discrepancy with his ID card,” said Harish Chander, deputy commissioner of police, zone 2.