RAIPUR: A six-year-old boy accidentally shot his three-year-old sister dead while they were playing with their father's licensed gun at their home in Chhattisgarh's Durg district, police said on Tuesday.
The tragic incident took place on Monday evening in Borenda village in Durg, around 75 km from here.
"The boy Harsh pressed the trigger of a 12-bore loaded gun that he took out from a shelf while playing with his sister. He had no idea that the gun was real and loaded," District Superintendent of Police Dipanshu Kabra said.
The bullet hit his sister Khushi in the head and she died on the spot, he said.
Harsh and his sister were alone at home when the gun went off as their parents were away attending a religious function in the neighbourhood.
"We have registered a case under section 174 of the CrPC (criminal procedure code) and are investigating the matter. A post-mortem of the girl was carried out," Kabra said.
"The gun was licensed and issued in the name of Harsh's father, Jai Singh Thakur, a farmer. We think the unfortunate incident happened due to the parent's negligence," the officer said. "No arrest has been made so far," he added.
Readers' comments:
In reporting the news involving a juvenile, the names and other identies have been freely disclosed. The legal position in this context as follows: Section 21 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 (56 of 2000) as amended by the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Act, 2006 (33 of 2006)., states that: "Prohibition of publication of name, etc., of juvenile or child in need of care and protection involved in any proceeding under the Act-(1) No report in any newspaper, magazine, news-sheet or visual media of any inquiry regarding a juvenile in conflict with law or a child in need of care and protection under this Act shall disclose the name, address or school or any other particulars calculated to lead to the identification of the juvenile or child shall nor shall any picture of any such juvenile or child shall be published: Provided that for any reason to be recorded in writing, the authority holding the inquiry may permit such disclosure, if in its opinion such disclosure is in the interest of the juvenile or the child. (2) Any person who contravenes the provisions of sub-section (1), shall be liable to a penalty which may extend to twenty-five thousand rupees".
Its high time, media in India matures in reporting news about juvenile in conflict with law.
I attach immense importance to the rule of law and the right to fair trial, with special emphasis as regards juveniles in conflict with law.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008 17:52 IST
Arjun Natarajan
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