The Juvenile Justice Board introduces novel punishment for adolescents convicted of criminal traffic offences

The Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) has introduced a novel punishment for erring under age youngsters convicted of traffic offences. In keeping with the principles of progressive justice, the JJB is making juveniles work as traffic volunteers on the city's busy chowks for seven days to a month-and-a-half depending on the severity of the offence they have committed.

DCP Manoj Patil told
MiD DAY that four such cases have been referred to the traffic department in the last three months.

"A boy ran over Ronak Sunil Burman, a Std XI student, and national level cyclist, in Telco Colony, Pimpri, last year. The driver was among four youths between 15 to 17 years of age who were asked to serve at traffic signals," said Patil.

Traffic department sources said the erring 17-year-old, who ran over Burman, was asked to work as a traffic volunteer at Pimpri Chowk for three hours a day from May 15 to May 9.

More cases
In yet another case, a boy was asked to work as a traffic volunteer at Pushpamangal Chowk from May 30 to July 3, after it was proved that he had run his Ford Ikon over a woman and caused her death.

Under control
Yet another juvenile was asked to control traffic at Pranakuti Chowk in Yerwada for 15 days. Reacting to the nature of punishment announced by the JJB, advocate Asim Sarode, director of the NGO Human Rights and Law Defenders, welcomed theu00a0u00a0 decision. "This is a good decision. Many such reformative steps should be taken. In many cases, adolescents make such mistakes because their emotional needs are denied."