Port Blair Nov 6: In a powerful stride toward strengthening child protection mechanisms, the Juvenile Justice Committee of the Calcutta High Court convened an insightful programme on “Strengthening the Role of Investigation, Prosecution and Judiciary, particularly in POCSO Cases” on November 4 at the Circuit Bench of the Calcutta High Court, Port Blair.
The event was steered by Hon’ble Justice Shampa Sarkar, Judge, High Court at Calcutta and Chairperson of the Juvenile Justice Committee (JJC), whose address set a thoughtful tone for the deliberations. Hon’ble Justice Ananya Bandyopadhyay, Judge, High Court at Calcutta, also graced the occasion, underscoring the judiciary’s deep commitment to safeguarding the rights of children.
The discussion centered on closing the persistent gaps that hinder the effective implementation of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012. The programme aimed to foster collective responsibility among the Judiciary, Prosecution, Police, Administration, and civil society, reaffirming that justice for victims requires seamless coordination and compassion across all levels of the justice system.
Distinguished speakers, including Mr. Neyaz Alam, Special Judge (POCSO), Ms. Niharikha Bhatt, IPS, Superintendent of Police, Shri Ravinder Kumar, Director, Social Welfare, A&N Administration, Mr. Deep Chaim Kabir, Senior Advocate, Mr. D. Ilango, Advocate, and Dr. M. Ashwini Kumar, Assistant Professor of Forensic Medicine, ANIIMS, shared their valuable insights and on-ground experiences in handling POCSO cases.
A dynamic panel discussion followed, moderated by Deep Chaim Kabir with participation from Samrat Roy, Chief Judicial Magistrate, Jayanto Mukherjee, Judge, JJB, Ms. A.S. Zinu and Ms. Tasneem, Special Public Prosecutors (POCSO), and other officials.
