Surat: A juvenile court here ordered that two young men — who in 2016 were juveniles in conflict with the law in a murder case from the Adajan area — be kept in an observation home for three years. One of them was held guilty of murder and the other of attempted murder. Two other juveniles in the case, were released subject to certain conditions. All of them were around 16 years old when the murder took place.The juvenile justice court, comprising principal magistrate K V Pathak and members Dr Anisha Mahida and Dr Paresh Kakadiya, conducted proceedings. The court took a balanced approach to ensure justice to the victim while considering the rehabilitation, education and future welfare of the children in conflict with law.On June 5, 2016, an altercation took place between two groups. The deceased man, Adarsh Nagarkar alias Babu, was referred to as a ‘cheat’ to which he protested. The four juveniles formed a group and attacked Nagarkar with a knife, causing fatal wounds to his chest. When Adarsh’s father, Rajpal, intervened, he was also injured with a knife.A case was registered at Adajan police station against the four juveniles. During proceedings, the prosecution submitted that the act committed by the children was serious and brutal and could not be viewed leniently. It was further argued that appropriate legal action was necessary so the children would understand the consequences of violating the law.After considering the evidence on record, the individual roles of the four children and the circumstances of the case, the court found all four children in conflict with law to be responsible for the offence. Considering their respective roles, the two juveniles who had played a major role were ordered to be placed in an observation home for three years. The other two juveniles were ordered to be released and directions were issued for periodic reporting to the court on their conduct, progress and rehabilitation.Court orders facilitation of their studiesThe court adopted a reformative and rehabilitative approach rather than focusing solely on punitive measures. It directed that the juveniles placed in the observation home be given appropriate counselling and rehabilitation facilities. The court further emphasized that, if they wished to continue their studies, necessary educational or vocational training should be provided to facilitate their reintegration into society.
