Maharashtra: Child rights panel chief urges police to prioritise safety of kids

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Susieben Shah, the president of Maharashtra State Child Rights Protection Commission, has urged the police to prioritise the safety of children and take immediate action when their rights are violated, news agency PTI reported.

Speaking at a workshop for police officers on the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act on Wednesday in Mumbai, Shah also underscored the need for a separate 'Child Safety Officer' at every police station.

"Every police station must have a dedicated and separate police officer for child safety and security. It is our utmost responsibility to ensure that children's rights are protected, and any breach of this must be addressed with urgency," she said.

This call to action comes in the wake of the Badlapur sexual assault case, the Thane Police said in a release on Thursday.

A contractual sweeper at a private school in Badlapur town of Thane district of Maharashtra was arrested last month for allegedly sexually assaulting two four-year-old girls inside a toilet on the premises, a crime that had caused public outrage. The accused was killed in retaliatory firing in police custody on Monday.

Shah also called for a comprehensive audit of government and private schools under the jurisdiction of each police station.

While Special Inspector General of Police Ashwati Dorje highlighted the challenges in gaining cooperation from victims' families after such incidents, child rights activist Santosh Shinde stressed the need for dedicated child welfare officers at every police station.

Gajanan Chavan from the Maharashtra and Goa State Bar Council talked about the legal responsibilities of police, particularly in collecting evidence and presenting strong charge sheets in court.

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