April 03, 2026 11:28 am (IST)
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After protests, RS to take up Juvenile Justice Bill tomorrow
New Delhi, Dec 21 (IBNS): Following severe mass protests, political parties have agreed to discuss in the Rajya Sabha the Juvenile Justice Bill on Tuesday.
The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Bill,2015, as passed by the Lok Sabha earlier, seeks to amend the law to allow trying those over 16 years of age and accused of heinous crimes, as adults.
This comes after the Supreme Court earlier in the day rejected a petition challenging the release of the youngest of six men found guilty of raping and torturing a medical student on a moving bus in Delhi in 2012, saying it shares the concern of petitioners but can't allow his detention to be extended.
"In the absence of any law we can't take away the right of a person. There has to be legislative sanction," the apex court says while giving ruling on the plea filed by the Delhi Commission for Women against the release of the convict.
The convict, now 20, was released on Sunday evening from a correctional home. He was treated as a juvenile as per the existing law as he was a minor when the crime took place.
But enraged at his release, hundreds of people, including the parents of the victim, Jyoti Singh, staged protests.
'Under what jurisdiction we can detain him?" the court said. "If anything has to be done, it has to be done according to the law. We have to enforce the law. Will we not be taking away somebody's right to life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution. There is nothing in the law to provide that," it said.
"We share your concern but under existing law, detention cannot go beyond 3 years," the Supreme Court said.
"If the reformation programme takes 7 or 10 years, can we keep him under detention? Where is the legislative sanction?," it added.
Meanwhile, the Rajya Sabha unanimously passed the crucial SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill along with two bills on supplementary demands for 2015-16 on Monday.
The bills were passed without any debates.
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