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Patna High Court Terms Juvenile’s Arrest Unlawful, Orders Rs 5 Lakh Compensation and Inquiry

The bench said the 15-year-old was jailed for over two months after a chargesheet did not send him up for trial.

Overview

  • The court directed the Juvenile Justice Board, Madhepura, to release the boy forthwith following its January 9 order.
  • The State must pay Rs 5 lakh within one month and Rs 15,000 in litigation costs for the rights violation found by the bench.
  • The Director General of Police, Bihar, was told to open an administrative inquiry and recover the payout from responsible officials within six months.
  • Judges criticized a DIG’s supervision note that told police to assume allegations were true, calling it contrary to the presumption of innocence.
  • The investigating officer arrested the boy on October 23, 2025 without seeking further-investigation leave from a magistrate and misreported him as 19, and the magistrate sent him to jail instead of an observation home.