The State government has issued orders for establishing a Special Juvenile Police Unit (SJPU) in the district. The unit, aimed at protecting the child rights and care, will be set up with necessary staff, said district Superintendent of Police B.V. Ramana Kumar.
Under Section 63 of the Juvenile Justice Act, the government should set up SJPUs in all districts. The Police Department should appoint Child Protection Officers in all police stations for providing care and protection of children. Recently, Child Welfare Committee (CWC) district president I. Srinivas Rao has submitted a representation to Director General of Police V.Dinesh Reddy and Special Chief Secretary (Women Development and Child Welfare department) M. Chaya Ratan requesting to set up Special Juvenile Police Unit in Nellore district.
Responding to the plea, the Special Chief Secretary wrote to the DGP on the issue, who in turn directed the district police to start the SJPU without any delay. Last month, the Supreme Court has directed the State governments to set up Special Juvenile Police Units and take steps for effective implementation of Juvenile Justice Act, said CWC president Mr.Srinivas.
Speaking to ‘The Hindu', SP said the orders were received from DGP on Friday, and an SJPU would be established in Nellore with a CI and other staff. A trained constable/head constable would be appointed as Child Protection Officer in all stations.
