Kerala - Kochi   

Directive to form child welfare committees

Staff Reporter

High Courtround-up

Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Friday directed the State Government to constitute child welfare committees as stipulated in the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act in all the districts except Kozhikode, Thrissur and Idukki by August 22.

The committees have been constituted only in the three districts. As per an amendment to the Act, the State Governments are bound to set up the committee within one year from August 22, 2006.

Justice Thottathil B. Radhakrishnan issued the direction on a writ petition filed by Janaseva Sisubhavan president Jose Maveli against the order of the Aluva First Class Judicial Magistrate refusing to entertain a petition seeking custody of two children. The magistrate issued the order on the ground that it was only the Chief Judicial Magistrate who had the power to order custody of children.

The court also ordered that until the committee was constituted, the magistrate concerned could exercise the power under the Act.

Railway division

A Division Bench adjourned to Monday the hearing on the writ petition challenging the Railway authority's decision to bifurcate the Palakkad Railway Division and form a new division at Salem.

The petition was filed by Palakkad Municipal Councillor C. Krishnakumar. As a result of the decision, two-thirds of the area under the Palakkad division would be transferred to the new division.

Marad case

A writ petition was filed seeking a direction to the CBI to take over the investigation into the Marad massacre as requested by the State Government.

The petition was filed by People's Forum for Natural Justice, Palakkad. The petition pointed out that the judicial commission had found that no effective investigation was conducted by the police regarding the involvement of external or internal forces in the Marad killings.

Petition admitted

A Bench has admitted a writ petition seeking a direction to the State Pollution Control Board to suspend and take disciplinary action against A.K. Surendran, environmental engineer of the Board at Palakkad who had been entrapped in two bribery cases by the Vigilance.

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