ORDER

The petitioner is an accused in S.C.No.575/2016 on the file of the Sessions Court, Alappuzha arising from Crime No.1501/2015 of Thrikkunnapuzha Police Station, Alappuzha. The above case is charge sheeted against the petitioner alleging offence punishable under Section 23 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 [for short, ‘the JJ Act’].

2. The prosecution case is that, on 07.02.2015 at about 2 p.m, the petitioner who is a teacher by profession kicked a girl by name Viga and another girl by name Parvathi sitting next to her studying in IInd standard. It is the case of the prosecution that, in order to enforce the discipline in the class room, the petitioner admonished the girl Viga with a little cane stick that accidentally caused to touch below the forehead of another girl by name Gopika. Therefore, it is submitted that the petitioner committed the offence under Section 23 of the JJ Act. Annexure-1 is the First Information Report and Annexure-2 is the final report. According to the petitioner, even if the entire allegations are accepted, no offence is made out. Hence this Criminal Miscellaneous Case.

3. Heard counsel for the petitioner and the Public Prosecutor.

4. The counsel for the petitioner submitted that, Section 23 of the JJ Act is not applicable. To attract the same, the child should be in actual control and charge of the teacher and in this case, the petitioner who is a teacher is not in actual control and charge of the child. Therefore, Section 23 of the JJ Act is not applicable.

5. The Public Prosecutor submitted that the child sustained injury and that itself shows that the petitioner committed the offence and when the child went to school, the child is in actual control and charge of the teacher concerned. Therefore, Section 23 of the JJ Act is applicable.

6. This Court considered the contention of the petitioner and the Public Prosecutor. The question to be decided is whether Section 23 of the JJ Act is attracted in this case. It will be better to extract Section 23 of the JJ Act:

‘23. Punishment for Cruelty to Juvenile or Child:

Whoever, having the actual charge of, or control over, a juvenile or the child, assaults, abandons, exposes or wilfully neglects the juvenile or causes or procures him to be assaulted, abandoned, exposed or neglected in a manner likely to cause such juvenile or the child unnecessary mental or physical suffering shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or fine, or with both.’

7. The first contention of the petitioner that the child is not in actual control or charge of the teacher cannot be accepted. The parents are sending the children to the school and once the child reached school, the child is in actual control and charge of the teacher concerned. But, this Court perused the final report. It will be better to extract the contents in the final report.

'

പ്രതി ടീച്ചറായി ജ(cid:11)ാലി ജ(cid:13)ാക്കി വരുന്ന തൃക്കുന്നപ്പുഴ വിജ(cid:22)(cid:11)ിൽ, ജ(cid:24)ാജ(cid:25)മുറിയിൽ, തൃക്കുന്നപ്പുഴ പഞ്ചായത്ത്

X-)൦ വാർഡിൽ, തൃക്കുന്നപ്പുഴ അമ്പല (cid:11)ംഗ്ഷ(cid:13)ിൽ (cid:13)ിന്നും ഉദ്ദ്ജ*ശ്യം

60 മീറ്റർ തെതക്ക് പടിഞ്ഞാറു

മാറിയുള്ള ഗവ : എൽ. പി.

സ്കൂളിതെല തെതക്ക്‌ - വടക്കായി

സ്ഥിതി തെ9യ്യുന്ന തെ(cid:24)(cid:25)ിടത്തിതെ; തെതക്കറ്റം

2 A ക്ലാസ്സ്‌

മുറിയിൽ തെവച്ച്

7/12/2015 തിയ്യതി പ(cid:24)ൽ

2.00 മണിക്ക്

ക്ലാസ്സിൽ തെവച്ച്

4-)o സാക്ഷിതെയ

3-)o സാക്ഷി (cid:24)ാൽ തെ(cid:24)ാണ്ട് 9വി(cid:25)ിയത്തി(cid:13)് പ്രതി

3-)o സാക്ഷിതെയ ചൂരൽ വടി

തെ(cid:24)ാണ്ട് അടിച്ച സമയം, ചൂരൽ വടിയുതെട അറ്റം

2-)o സാക്ഷിയുതെട ഇടതു (cid:24)ണ്ണ് ഭാഗത്ത് തെ(cid:24)ാണ്ട് തിണർപ്പുണ്ടാകുന്നതി(cid:13)് ഇടവരുത്തി പ്രതി ജമൽ വകുപ്പു

പ്ര(cid:24)ാരമുള്ള കുറ്റം തെ9യ്തിട്ടുള്ളതാണ്.’

In connection with the discipline of the school, the teacher used a cane. It accidentally hit on another child. No serious injury is sustained to the other child also as per the wound certificate. This Court in Rajan @ Raju v. Sub Inspector of Police, Feroke Police Station and Others [2018(5) KHC 967] observed like this:

8. To