Two day training programme of Special Juvenile police units began today at Police Headquarters Srinagar.The inaugural session was attended by Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey, Judge, High Court of J&K (Chairperson J&K Juvenile Justice Committee), Director General of Police, S P Vaid, Ld. Advocate General, Jahangir Iqbal Ganie, Special Director General of Police, V K Singh, Commissioner Secretary to Government Social Welfare, Sajad Ahmad Khan, Director State Judicial Academy High Court of J&K, A R Malik HJS (ex-officio Member Secretary Juvenile Justice Committee).In his inaugural address Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey emphasized more needs to be done to implement the legislation in letter and spirit for care and protection of the juveniles and children who are in conflict with the law, so that they develop as responsible citizens of the Country. He said that since Police is the first responder while dealing a child who is in conflict with the law, the officers have to take extra care and deal with such children in a very friendly manner and treat them like our own children.
Highlighting the importance of the J&K Juvenile Justice Act 2013, he said that the guidelines passed need to be followed by the policemen so that childhood of many such juveniles is not lost. Complementing the Police Headquarters for organizing the training programme, Justice Magrey hoped that the participants will learn a lot from the speakers on different subjects and implement the same for benefit of the juveniles in a professional manner.Earlier, in his address DGP S P Vaid said that the J&K Police has created 195 special juvenile units across the State of Jammu and Kashmir to take care of the juveniles and the children who are in conflict with the law in our State following the enactment of J&K J.J. Act 2013. He said that although police has been taking steps in dealing with juvenile offenders in a humane manner, however, a lot remains to be done. He said that we need to treat these children with more compassion as if they were our own children. He said that there is huge scope of reforming the children who are in conflict with the law.
In his welcome address Special Director General of Police, PHQ V.K Singh who is the State level Nodal Officer for the implementation of the J.J. Act in the State thanked the guests particularly Justice Magrey, Advocate General, DGP J&K and Commissioner Secretary for participating in the inaugural session. He said that the training of Special Juvenile Police units has been organized to sensitize the police officers who have to work with the juveniles regarding the different provisions of the J&K J.J. Act 2013 and the role of the police officers as first respondents. Later, Director State Judicial Academy High Court of J&K, A.R. Malik HJS gave a lecture on Juvenile Justice (Protection and Care of Children) Act 2013 and Rules 2014, Sajad Bashir Somberia, Assistant Director, Social Welfare Department gave a lecture on Role of Social Welfare Department, Mubashir Altaf, Assistant Professor Law, Kashmir University gave a lecture on Supreme Court guidelines regarding Justice to Juveniles and Dr. Rouf Mohi-Din Malik, Chairman, Koshish NGO gave a lecture on Role of NGOs in Juvenile Justice. (GNS)