Allahabad High Court
JUVENILE XversusSTATE OF U.P. AND 3 OTHERS
- Decided
- Bench
- JAI PRAKASH TIWARI
Holding
The court held that the order denying bail to the juvenile was erroneous and set it aside, granting bail with conditions.
Summary
The High Court of Allahabad entertained a criminal revision filed by Juvenile X, aged 17 years 11 months, seeking bail after being detained since August 2024. The revision challenged the order of the Child Court/Additional Sessions Judge, Banda, which had denied bail under Section 12 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. The court examined whether the juvenile posed any risk of associating with criminals, facing moral or physical danger, or defeating the ends of justice, and found no such grounds, noting his lack of criminal history and prolonged confinement. Consequently, the court held the impugned order erroneous, set it aside, and granted bail with strict conditions. The order also directed the trial court to expedite the trial and the child observation home to be informed of the bail.
Issues considered
- Whether the denial of bail to the juvenile under Section 12 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, was justified.
- Whether the juvenile, having no criminal history and no risk factors, is entitled to bail despite prolonged pre‑trial detention.
- Whether the impugned orders are contrary to the provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act and thus liable to be set aside.
Legislation cited
- Indian Penal Code — s. 229-A
- Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 — s. 101, 12
- Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 — s. 3, 4
- Uttar Pradesh B.N.S. — s. 137(2), 64, 87
Subjects
- juvenile justice
- bail
- section 12
- revision
- child observation home
- false implication
- Uttar Pradesh
Judgment
HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD
CRIMINAL REVISION No. - 6442 of 2025
Juvenile X
.....Revisionist(s)
Versus
State Of U.P. And 3 Others
.....Opposite
Party(s)
Counsel for Revisionist(s) : Pushpendra Singh
Counsel for Opposite Party(s) : Adil Jamal, G.A., Shabeh Jamal
Court No. - 84
HON'BLE JAI PRAKASH TIWARI, J.
Learned counsel for the revisionist has filed rejoinder affidavit today in Court, which
is taken on record.
Heard learned counsel for the revisionist, learned counsel for the opposite
party no.4 and learned A.G.A. for the State and perused the records.
The present criminal revision has been filed to quash the order dated
17.07.2025, passed by the Child Court/Additional Sessions Judge, Banda
in Criminal Appeal No.16 of 2025 (CNR No.UPBD010017772025),
(Vidhi Vivadit Kishor Vs. State of U.P.), under Section 101 of the
Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, and order of
the Juvenile Justice Board, District Banda and dated 15.04.2025, arising
out of Case Crime No.524 of 2024, under Sections 137(2), 87, 64 of the
BNS, 2023 and Section 3/4 of POCSO Act, Police Station Kotwali Nagar,
District Banda.
Learned counsel for the revisionist submits:
(i) admittedly, the applicant was a juvenile aged about 17 years 11 months
and 12 days on the date of alleged incident; He is in jail since 09.08.2024;
(ii) the applicant has been falsely implicated;
(iii) there is no specific or strong objection raised in the DPO report, other
than the general and vague observations;
CRLR No. 6442 of 2025
2
(iv) there is no criminal history of the applicant;
(v) there is no hope of early conclusion of the trial;
(vi) the revisionist has remained confined in the child observation home
for an unduly long period of time;
(vii) none of the grounds contemplated under section 12 of the Juvenile
Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 (hereinafter referred
to as the Act) are available, to deny the bail to the applicant.
(viii) therefore, the impugned orders have been assailed as erroneous and
contrary to law.
Learned A.G.A. for the State as well as learned counsel for the opposite
party no.2 have vehemently opposed the present criminal revision. It is
submitted, the incident reported is true and it is wrong to say that the
allegations made against the applicant are false, and/are motivated. Also,
reliance has been placed on the findings recorded in the bail rejection
orders to submit that the instant revision may be dismissed.
It is not in dispute that the applicant is a juvenile and is entitled to the
benefits of the provisions of the Act. Under Section 12 of the Act, the
prayer for bail of a juvenile may be rejected 'if there appear reasonable
grounds for believing that the release of the juvenile is likely to bring him
into association with any known criminal or expose him to moral,
physical or psychological danger or that his release would defeat the ends
of justice'.
The court has to see whether the opinion of the learned appellate Court as
well as Juvenile Justice Board recorded in the impugned judgment and
orders are in consonance with the provision of the Act. Section 12 of the
Act lays down three contingencies in which bail may be refused to a
juvenile offender. These are:-
(i) if the release is likely to bring him into association with any known
criminal, or
(ii) expose him to moral, physical or psychological danger, or
CRLR No. 6442 of 2025
3
(iii) that his release would defeat the ends of justice?
Thus, it remains largely undisputed that the applicant - was a juvenile on
the date of occurrence; does not appear to be prone to criminal proclivity
or criminal psychology, in light of the observations of the D.P.O; does not
have a criminal history; has been in confinement for an unduly long
period of time, in as much as the trial has not concluded within time
frame contemplated by the Act. Even otherwise, there does not appear to
exist any factor or circumstance mentioned in section 12 of the Act as
may disentitle the applicant to grant of bail, at this stage. The father of the
applicant undertakes to address the statutory concerns expressed in
section 12 of the Act, as to the safety and well being of the applicant,
upon his release.
In view of the above, it appears that the findings recorded by the learned
Court below are in conflict with the settled principle in law, for the
purpose of grant of bail and are erroneous and contrary to the law laid
down by this court. Consequently, those orders cannot be sustained. The
impugned order dated are hereby set aside.
In view of the observations made above, the present criminal revision is
allowed.
Let the revisionist Juvenile X involved in the aforesaid case crime be
released on bail, on his furnishing personal bond of Rs. 20,000/- with two
sureties each of like amount, to the satisfaction of the court concerned
with the following conditions:
(i) The revisionist shall not tamper with the evidence or threaten the
witnesses;
(ii) The revisionist through guardian shall file an undertaking to the effect
that he shall not seek any adjournment on the date fixed for evidence
when the witnesses are present in court. In case of default of this
condition, it shall be open for the trial Court to treat it as abuse of liberty
of bail and pass orders in accordance with law;
(iii) The revisionist through guardian shall remain present before the trial
CRLR No. 6442 of 2025
4
Court on each date fixed, either personally or through his counsel. In case
of his absence, without sufficient cause, the trial Court may proceed
against him under Section 229-A of the Indian Penal Code/269 B.N.S.S.
(iv) Registrar (compliance) is directed to communicate the order to the
Child Observation Home concerned within a week.
(v) The trial court is directed to proceed with the trial without granting
any unnecessary or long adjournments to either of the parties. Registrar
(compliance) is directed to communicate the order to the Child
Observation Home concerned within a week.
(Jai Prakash Tiwari,J.)
April 23, 2026
Mini
Digitally signed by :-
MINI KANAUJIYA
High Court of Judicature at Allahabad
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