High Court Rules: Juvenile Case Jurisdiction Clarified

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has delivered a pivotal ruling by determining that the children's court holds the jurisdiction to try the case of a juvenile accused in the 2017 Bhopal-Ujjain passenger train blast. This decision stems from the court's interpretation of the Juvenile Justice Act's dominance over pre-existing laws such as the NIA Act.

Justice Sanjay Dwivedi of the single bench stressed that the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015, possesses a non-obstante clause that prevails over any conflicting laws, including the NIA Act, 2008. Therefore, the case, involving a suspect under 18 years of age at the time of the incident, must be transferred to the Children's Court as per the recent ruling.

The directive comes in response to a reference from the Principal District and Sessions Judge Bhopal seeking clarity on the jurisdiction matter. It underscores the legal precedence given to juvenile-specific legislation, ensuring the case proceeds under the Children's Court guidelines, separate from the National Investigation Agency's jurisdiction.

(With inputs from agencies.)