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