Srinagar, November 14, 2018 (PPI-OT): In occupied Kashmir, in total disregard to the fundamental human rights, particularly the children’s rights, fake cases of stone pelting have been registered by the Indian authorities against more than 1900 children across the territory.
This was disclosed by none other than one of the members of the Juvenile Justice Boards in Srinagar. “When I was compiling the data, I came across the fact that in Kashmir Valley, stone pelting is the top offence. Though, we haven’t categorised the offences yet, but stone pelting is the leading offence,” the JJB member, Khair-un-Nisa said.
Out of the total of 1954 cases against children, transferred to JJBs in all the 22 districts of Jammu and Kashmir, the highest number, 330, is from Srinagar, followed by Jammu with 268 cases, according to Khair-un-Nisa.
These cases were lying pending with police or the respective chief judicial magistrates of different districts. “If we attend, for instance, 50 cases a day in Srinagar, 45 are related to stone pelting,” she said. Srinagar and Jammu districts are followed by Baramulla with 210 cases, Rajouri 137 and Bandipora 118.
The JJBs started functioning in occupied Kashmir from August, before which Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) would handle the cases pertaining to the children. The data reveals 113 cases pertaining to juveniles have been registered in Kulgam, 103 in Kupwara, 93 in Budgam, 91 in Shopian, 87 in Kathua and 83 in Islamabad districts. In Pulwama district 61 cases against juveniles are registered with JJB Pulwama, 53 in Poonch, 47 cases are registered in Udhampur, 34 in Doda, 27 in Reasi and 24 in Ganderbal.
The Juvenile Justice Board is dealing with 19 cases in Ramban and 17 in Kishtwar. The Jammu and Kashmir Juvenile Justice Act 1997 was amended in 2013 to create Juvenile Justice Boards in each district headed by a magistrate to look into the cases.
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