Three-yr-old booked before he can read

Puerile action

What crime can a three-year-old-boy commit? According to Bihar police, the tiny tot can assault a girl four times his age.

Strange, but true. With this charge slapped against him, Sajjan Yadav, barely three, was produced in the court of Judicial Magistrate B K Singh in Ara where the horrified judge was astonished when he was told that the police had submitted a charge-sheet against the kid.

According to the police, a chowkidar Lallan Yadav of Pakri village in Bhojpur district had lodged a complaint in July 2010 mentioning that Sajjan Yadav, son of Tarkeshwar Yadav, had brutally assaulted his 12-year-old daughter Puja Kumari after a tiff on sleeping in the nearby orchard. The FIR also said that the three-year-old boy not only assaulted her but also hurled abuses on Puja. Seven more persons were made co-accused.

After the inquiry, the investigating officer of Kishangarh police station found the charges to be “true” and mentioned this in his supervision report. Eventually, a charge-sheet was filed against Sajjan and seven others within the stipulated period of one month.

But while doing so, the police apparently erred by overlooking the rule of the law. According to Section 82 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), any offence committed by a child below seven years of age is treated as null and void. Similarly, under Section 83 of the IPC, nothing is treated as an offence committed by a child above seven years of age and below 12 years, as he/she has not attained the sufficient maturity level to judge and understand the consequences of his conduct on that occasion.

Baffled over the strange way of working of Bihar police, the judge on Tuesday expressed his displeasure and has sought a detailed report from Bhojpur SP in this connection.