On Tuesday, the Supreme Court denied bail to a minor from Uttarakhand accused of creating and sharing an obscene video of a classmate, which allegedly led to her suicide. This decision comes amid public scrutiny following a juvenile’s bail in a fatal Pune hit-and-run involving two software engineers.
A vacation bench of Justices Bela M. Trivedi and Pankaj Mithal upheld the Uttarakhand High Court’s decision to deny bail to a minor boy accused of making and sharing an obscene video that allegedly led to his classmate’s suicide. The boy’s mother had sought relief from the Supreme Court after both the Haridwar Juvenile Justice Board and the Uttarakhand High Court denied bail. The minor faces charges under IPC Sections 305 and 509, and Sections 13 and 14 of the POCSO Act.
Senior advocate Lok Pal Singh, representing the boy, argued for the minor to be placed in his parents’ custody instead of a juvenile home. However, the Supreme Court upheld the High Court’s decision after reviewing the case. The girl went missing on October 22 last year, and her body was later found, revealing the alleged crime.
On April 1, the Uttarakhand High Court denied bail to the boy, calling him “undisciplined.” Justice Ravindra Maithani stated that while offenses by children in conflict with the law are generally bailable, bail can be denied if releasing the child might associate him with criminals or endanger him physically, mentally, or morally, thus undermining justice.
The High Court, after reviewing social and medical investigation reports and the school’s report, concluded that keeping the boy in custody was in his best interest. The court noted that releasing him could undermine justice due to his undisciplined behavior and negative peer associations.
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