Ashok Kumar @ Khumana Ram vs State Of Rajasthan And Ors

Heard learned counsel for the petitioner (juvenile- through his natural guardian father Babulal S/o Ramaram) as well as learned Public Prosecutor

appearing on behalf of the respondent-State.

The allegation against the petitioner is of offence under Sections 305 IPC. The bail application filed by the petitioner under Section 12 of the Juvenile

Justice (Care and Protection of Children). Act, 2015 before the Principal Magistrate, Juvenile Justice Board, Barmer was rejected vide order dated

01.06.2019. Being aggrieved by the said order, an appeal was filed by the petitioner before the learned Special Judge (POCSO Act Cases), Balotara

and the same has been dismissed by learned Special Judge vide order dated 03.07.2019.

Being aggrieved of the orders dated 01.06.2019 and 03.07.2019 passed by the Courts below, the petitioner has preferred this revision petition before

this Court.

Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that there is no evidence to show that if the juvenile-petitioner is released on bail, then his release is likely to

bring him into association with any known criminal, or expose them to moral, physical or psychological danger, or that his release would defeat the

ends of justice. It is argued that learned Courts below have not appreciated the fact that the petitioner is juvenile and entitled to get benefit of

provisions of the Act of 2015. Section 12 of the Act of 2015 clearly provides that if the accused is juvenile, then he should be released on bail, but

learned Courts below fully ignored the provisions of the Act of 2015. The petitioner is in custody since long time and no further detention of the

petitioner is required for any purpose. Learned counsel for the petitioner further submitted that the gravity of the offence committed cannot be a

ground to decline bail to a juvenile.

On the other hand, learned Public Prosecutor defended the impugned order passed by the Juvenile Justice Board in declining the bail to the petitioner

as also the judgment passed by the Appellate Court upholding the order passed by the Juvenile Justice Board.

I have carefully considered the submissions made by the learned counsel for the parties and also perused the provisions of the Act of 2015.

The language of Section 12 of the Act of 2015 conveys the intention of the Legislature to grant bail to the juvenile, irrespective of nature or gravity of

the offence, alleged to have been committed by him and bail can be denied only in the case where there appears reasonable grounds for believing that

the release is likely to bring him into association with any known criminal, or expose him to moral, physical or psychological danger, or that his release

would defeat ends of justice.

In this context, I have also scanned through and perused the orders passed by the courts below.

Having carefully examined provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act vis-a-vis the orders passed by the courts below, I do not find that any of the

exceptional circumstances, to decline bail to a juvenile, as indicated in Section 12 of the Act of 2015, is made out. Moreover, similarly situated co-

accused has already been granted bail vide order dated 09.07.2019 passed by coordinate Bench of this Court in S.B.Criminal Misc. Bail Application

No.6865/2019.

In view of the aforesaid discussion, this revision petition is allowed and the order dated 01.06.2019 passed by the Principal Magistrate, Juvenile Justice

Board, Barmer as well as order dated 03.07.2019 passed by learned Special Judge, (POCSO Act Cases), Balotara declining bail to the petitioner is

hereby set aside.

It is ordered that the juvenile accused-petitioner Ashok Kumar @ Khumana Ram shall be released on bail in FIR No.92/2019, P.S. Chohatan, District

Barmer upon furnishing personal bond by his natural guardian father Babulal S/o Rama Ram in the sum of Rs.80,000/- each along with a surety in the

like amount to the satisfaction of learned Principal Magistrate, Juvenile Justice Board, Barmer with the stipulation that on all subsequent dates of

hearing, he shall appear before the said court or any other court, during pendency of the investigation/trial in the case and that his guardian shall keep

proper look after of the delinquent child and secure him away from the company of known criminals.