PUNE: Two
Juvenile Justice Board
(JJB) members, who granted bail to the 17-year-old Porsche Taycan driver on lenient terms, are likely to face stringent
disciplinary action
and may even be terminated from service, senior officials have said, quoting the women and child development (WCD) department commissioner's report that was submitted to the state govt on Tuesday.
JJB consists of two members appointed by the WCD department while one member is selected by the judiciary.
WCD commissioner Dr. Prashant Narnaware told TOI on Wednesday that his report runs into 150 pages, and it is now the state's prerogative to take appropriate action.
"I have recommended
disciplinary proceedings
against the two members as I found their responses to the show cause notices unsatisfactory. Action should be initiated under the
Juvenile Justice
(Care and Protection of Children) Act for misuse of power," he said.
2 JJB members face termination: Official
On May 19, two software engineers were killed in Kalyaninagar after their bike was fatally knocked down by the speeding Porsche, allegedly driven by the teenager in an inebriated condition.
The case sparked national outrage after the JJB granted bail to the accused minor on bizarre conditions, including the requirement to write a 300-word essay on road safety.
The WCD department in the first week of June set up a five-member committee to investigate procedural lapses,
misconduct
, and non-compliance with established norms by the two state-appointed members.
The committee was tasked with assessing the appropriateness of sections invoked, the adequacy of medical reports from Sassoon General Hospital, the overall functioning of the board, including the roster systempossible negligence of duty, and correct interpretation and application of Juvenile Justice Act provisions.
On June 15, the committee submitted its report, highlighting glaring lapses and mistakes in the bail order issued by a single JJB member on May 19. The second member gave his consent to the order the next day.
Show cause notices were then issued to the two JJB members. "Misconduct and non-compliance with norms were identified on the part of both members," Narnaware said.
A senior official from the department, who did not wish to be named, said, "The disciplinary action is most likely to lead to termination of service." The report has been submitted to the WCD minister and the department's secretary, who are expected to act on it within a week, the official
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