“Let justice be done though the heavens fall”

In early hours of 19/05/2024 a ghastly incident killed 2 young individuals in Pune and cause for same happened to be a Porsche rashly driven by Master X, a child in conflict with law. On very same day, he came to be released on bail. Juvenile Justice Board, on 21/05/2024, misguided itself by exercising power under Section 104 of The Juvenile Justice Act (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2015 and directing, Master X will stay in an Observation Home. Board had clarified, Master X will continue to be on bail. There is no cancellation or revocation. If it was so, he ought to be a free person. It is not permissible to remand him to any custody, when it may be even an Observation Home. There is no provision to adopt such a course. There is no question of confining a free child, who is already on bail.

– Hon’ble Justice Bharati Dangre of Hon’ble High Court of Judicature at Bombay, Master X v. State of Maharashtra, [Criminal Writ Petition No. 2372 of 2023] decided on 25.06.2024.