Bihar Police’s penchant for controversial bookings hit a new low in Rohtas, where officers invoked the SC/ST Act against a 9-year-old in a children’s fight. The Juvenile Justice Board erupted in response, demanding the Navhatta police station explain this travesty within a day.
Flashback to December 2025: a village playground brawl prompts a mother’s FIR at Navhatta thana, charging five with assault and invectives under SC/ST laws—including her own young foe. The case hit JJB court on February 19, where the sight of the tiny accused floored everyone.
Magistrate Amit Kumar Pandey and Tej Bali Singh pegged the boy at 9-10 years old, slamming the sloppy FIR for blank age fields. They commanded instant SC/ST withdrawal and a 24-hour SHO report.
Calling it patent misuse of a vital anti-atrocity law, the Board threatened senior intervention. Navhatta’s top cop noted the violence complaint but is investigating the juvenile’s wrongful tagging. Echoing Darbhanga’s 200-person SC/ST fiasco, this fuels debates on police overzealousness.
Reforms are urgently needed: mandatory age verification, juvenile sensitivity training, and FIR audits. The SC/ST Act safeguards the vulnerable; weaponizing it against kids perverts justice. Rohtas now races against the clock, hoping to salvage reputation amid public scrutiny.