By Tejas
Pune, October 10, 2024: In a major development, two members of the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) who granted bail to a minor accused in a fatal road accident have been dismissed following a government investigation. The incident, which occurred on the night of May 20, involved a drunk minor who rammed a two-wheeler in the Kalyani Nagar area of Pune, resulting in the deaths of two IT professionals on the spot.
When the minor was produced before the court, the JJB members granted bail and issued a fragile punishment of writing a 300-word essay. This decision, which was widely criticised by people, led to scrutiny of the JJB’s handling of the case.
After that, the two dismissed members, L.N. Dhanawade and Kavita Thorat, were investigated by the Maharashtra government’s Women and Child Development Department. After the findings were submitted, both members were found guilty of mishandling the case and have since been dismissed from the Juvenile Justice Board.
The investigation report pointed out that the JJB members granted bail without waiting for the accused’s blood report, which was not submitted by the Pune Police. This raised concerns about potential gaps in the evidence that were overlooked during the bail hearing.
Moreover, the report noted that the bail was issued hastily, with L.N. Dhanawade hearing the matter despite having no work roster for that day. It was also observed that the bail order was passed in the absence of other JJB members, which is a strict violation of the Juvenile Justice Act.
Following the submission of this report, the state government acted swiftly to remove the two members from the board, holding them accountable for their failure to follow proper procedures in handling the sensitive case.