''Democratic police" to contain juvenile crime : Bharadwaj

Ranchi, June 24: Union Law Minister Hans Raj Bharadwaj today stressed the need on creating ''democratic police'' to deal with juvenile delinquencies.

He said cases of children and women are delicate and needed to be ''treated and tried'' differently.

Mr Bharadwaj made no bone to put forward his view that a special police force comprising only women, who could provide motherly treatment, should be raised to take care of such children and asserted that, ''we do not require any battalion'' to contain crimes committed by children.

Delivering his keynote address as guest of honour at a two-day symposium on 'Juvenile Justice (Care&Protection of Children) Act, 2000', the Union Law Minister simultaneously raised the point that women also needed to be treated in a special manner.

He regretted the fact that till date the country did not have ''proper'' police to tackle juvenile crime.

In his address, Supreme Court Justice Altamas Kabir elaborated on the Act and said "it was aimed at making a meaningful citizen not a hardened criminal".

Mr Kabir referred to a case of a minor girl, who had been detained in Patna Railway, as she was not carrying a platform ticket.

The girl lost her childhood while in remand. Her parents died when she was released.''The entire system required a human touch that had been lacking at present,'' he said.

Mr Kabir said the act comprises mainly four chapters--crime, juvenile justice boards, child welfare committees and process of rehabilitation.

The symposium was graced by Governor Syed Sibtey Razi and Jharkhand High Court Chief Justice S J Mukhopadhyaya gave the welcome address.

In his address, Supreme Court Justice Altamas Kabir elaborated on the Act and said "it was aimed at making a meaningful citizen not a hardened criminal". Mr Kabir referred to a case of a minor girl, who had been detained in Patna Railway, as she was not carrying a platform ticket. The girl was sent to remand home at Jharkhand's Deoghar and she could be restored to her brother only when she attained 16 years.

The girl lost her childhood. Her parents died when she was toiling in the remand home for no fault, he said trying to justify why the entire system required a human touch that had been lacking at present.

Mr Kabir said the act comprises mainly four chapters--crime, juvenile justice boards, child welfare committees and process of rehabilitation.

He said the child welfare committee was of prime importance and urged the state government to pay special attention to it.

The children, as tender they were, must be dealt with by sensitive people and police must be sensitised in this regard.

The symposium was graced by Governor Syed Sibtey Razi and Jharkhand High Court Chief Justice S J Mukhopadhyaya gave the welcome address.

UNI