Draft rules of Juvenile Justice Act could be used in Mercedes hit-and-run case

The draft rules of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015, could be used in the trial of the Mercedes hit-and-run case which had claimed the life of a marketing executive in April in Delhi, if they are adopted by the government in the coming days. The rules were released by Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi on Wednesday.

The case was highlighted as the accused teenager who was short of 18 years, had allegedly driven his father's Mercedes over 32-year-old Siddharth Sharma on April 4.

The draft rules have been placed on the ministry's website for the next few days for inviting suggestions and comments from stakeholders including non-government organisation, individuals, state government/union territory administrations and ministries concerned before being finalised. The draft rules repeal the Model Rules, 2007, and are based on the philosophy that children need to be reformed and reintegrated into the society.

"The states' governments, may, if they wish, adopt or adapt these rules as per their requirements," a senior ministry official said.

The rules of JJ Act, 2015, were framed by a multi-disciplinary committee comprising senior judge and advocates, members of JJBs and Child Welfare Committee, representatives of state governments, mental health expert and civil society organisations working in the field of child protection.

The JJ Act came into force in January following a huge uproar over increasing number of crimes committed by persons under the age of 18.