Juvenile board orders teen to be tried as adult in rape case

New Delhi, Aug 17 (PTI) In a first order of its kind, theJuvenile Justice Board (JJB) has directed that a teenagerwould face trial as an adult in a heinous offence of allegedlyraping a 17-year-old girl, saying he had committed the crime"meticulously" and in a "planned manner". JJB Presiding Officer Arul Verma rejected the submissionof the counsel for the boy, whose age was assessed to be 17years, that it was consensual relationship between him and thegirl, saying there was not an iota of evidence that would lendcredence to this assertion. "The prosecutrix has taken a consistent stand withrespect to the factum of rape by the CCL (child in conflictwith law). The injuries on the body of the victim furthersubstantiate this version," the board said. "A perusal of the records viz. statements of the victimalso reveal that the CCL meticulously and in a planned manner,committed the alleged offence. From picking her from school ona bike, then taking her in a car, purchasing alcohol, going toa flat are the sequence of events …," it said. "This board under the provisions of the Juvenile Justice(Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, is of theconsidered view that there is a need for trial of the CCL asan adult and thus the trial of the present case is herebytransferred to the designated Children’s Court havingjurisdiction to try such offences," the JJB said, directingthat the accused be produced there on August 23. This is the first order in a rape case since theamendment in the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection ofChildren) Act, 2015, which allowed the Board to transfer casesof heinous offences by children to the sessions court. As per section 2(33) of the Act, "heinous offences"include the offences for which minimum punishment under IPC orany other law for the time being in force is imprisonment forseven years or more. Earlier, JJB had transferred to sessions court a murdercase and Mercedes hit-and-run case allegedly involving minorsfor being tried as adults. In her complaint, the girl had said she had initially notdisclosed the incident to anyone as the accused had allegedlyvideo-recorded the act and threatened her with direconsequences if she reported the matter. PTI SKVARC