Problem of Child Runaway from Observation Homes: A Challenge to the Existing Laws-A Critical Study of Raipur and Durg Child Observation Homes of Chhattisgarh

Abstract

Children are the most valuable assets of any country because they are the future youth who bear the responsibility of overall development of the society. They are primarily innocent and ignorant by nature but when they get indulged into various crimes, and are under trial or are punished, they are termed as Children in Conflict with Law and are kept in Children Observation Homes totally separate from the adult criminals. The history of such Child Observation Homes goes back to the 1920’s Boston School, where the child criminals were separated from the adult offenders for reformation. With the advent of time, Legal Acts like The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2015, Precedents of Supreme Court cases, and Manual of Ministry of Child and Women Development are the source as well as the regulating authorities of such Children Observation Homes, which aim together to make efforts to adjudicate and dispose of the matter in the best interest of the children. They seek to reform and socially re-integrate such children in a child-friendly atmosphere of the Observation Homes established under the said law, by fulfilling their key needs with proper care and treatment. But frequent reporting of runaway of Children from these homes has set a question mark on the functionality of these homes and raises the issue to its fullest whether the aims of Child reforming laws are being met in reality. Thus, this research paper puts forth the overall problem of Child runaway from Observation Homes taking the cases of Raipur and Durg Observation Homes of Chhattisgarh as special references and puts light on the status, reasons and possible solutions in the form of suggestions to resolve this greater menace of the realm of Child Justice.