Two members of the Juvenile Justice Board in Pune have been dismissed for granting bail to a 17-year-old boy who killed two persons when his Porsche car crashed into their motorbike on May 19, reported PTI on Thursday.
The action by the Maharashtra government came after the state Women and Child Development Department flagged alleged “procedural lapses, misconduct and non-compliance with norms” by the members – LN Danwade and Kavita Thorat.
The minor was driving the car with no number plate while allegedly under the influence of alcohol. He was booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
On June 25, the Bombay High Court granted him bail and ordered that he should be placed under the care of his aunt.
On May 19, the Juvenile Justice Board in Pune granted bail to the minor, directing him to write a 300-word essay about the accident and volunteer with the traffic police for 15 days. The bail conditions had sparked public outrage.
The child rights body then cancelled the minor’s bail order on May 22 and remanded him to an observation home.
On Thursday, Women and Child Development Department Commissioner Prashant Nanavare told PTI that he had submitted a report to the state government in July recommending that Danwade and Thorat be terminated from service.
“The state government on Tuesday terminated the appointment of both the members as they were found guilty of misusing their powers, which have been provided under the Juvenile Justice Act,” Nanavare told the news agency.
The members had been issued a notice asking them to explain why they should not be dismissed from duty. “But as their replies were not satisfactory, we wrote to the state government and proposed a disciplinary action against both the members,” Nanavare added.
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