The State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) has so far failed to live up to its objective and worst seems ineffective against the red-tapism prevalent in the government machinery which they deem to be an impediment in the delivery of justice.
Despite enough powers, the SCPCR failed to arm-twist police and the Government in as many as two cases that stirred up sentiments and jolted the city to the core. The commission failed to move beyond official communication between it and the Government departments such as police. The commission had no qualms in admitting that it is monitoring agency and hence its role in justice delivery system is limited in scope.
The commission failed to exert pressure on police while the family of minor victims awaits justice. The commission claims to have written to the police on incidents such as the rape and murder of a six-year-old girl in Doranda and the alleged suicide by a 16 year-old girl Vidisha Roy but ironically the commission has no updates of any development made in the case so far. While the Doranda incident had happened in April, Vidisha had allegedly committed suicide in the month of September.
“We can only monitor cases but we cannot do anything about results. The departments are investigating cases and will submit their reports as soon as they complete the investigations,” conceded SCPCR Chairperson Roop laxmi Munda. Interestingly, the commission even failed in ensuring that the NCPCR’s (National Commission for Protection of Child Rights) directives to the concerned departments in
connection with Vidisha’s suicide case are adhered to by the departments. The NCPCR had issued directions more than a month ago. Although the commission claims to be a monitoring agency it has no clue whether POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act has been applied in all cases including the Bariatu incident.
“Whether the act has been applied to the case or not will be clear once we receive the investigation reports in all cases. We ask the officials to invoke the act if it is not applied in cases related to minor victims,” continued Mishra.