Section 19 in Jharkhand Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Rules, 2017
19. Procedure for inquiry.
(1)The Committee shall inquire into the circumstances under which the child is produced and accordingly declare such child to be a child in need of care and protection.(2)The Committee shall, prima facie determine the age of the child in order to ascertain its jurisdiction, pending further inquiry as per section 94 of the Act, if need be.(3)When a child is brought before the Committee, the Committee shall assign the case to a social worker or Case Worker or Child Welfare Officer or to any recognised non Jharkhand Gazette (Extraordinary), Tuesday, 9th January, 2018 23 governmental organisation for conducting the social investigation under sub-section (2) of section 36 of the Act through an order in Form 21.(4)The Committee shall direct the person or organisation concerned to develop an individual care plan in Form 7 including a suitable rehabilitation plan. The individual care plan prepared for every child in the institutional care shall be developed with the ultimate aim of the child being rehabilitated and re-integrated based on the case history, circumstances and individual needs of the child.(5)The inquiry shall satisfy the basic principles of natural justice and shall ensure the informed participation of the child and the parent or guardian. The child shall be given an opportunity to be heard and his opinion shall be taken into consideration with due regard to his age and level of maturity. The orders of the Committee shall be in writing and contain reasons.(6)The Committee shall interview the child sensitively and in a child friendly manner and will not use adversarial or accusatory words or words that adversely impact the dignity or self-esteem of the child.(7)The Committee shall satisfy itself through documents and verification reports, before releasing or restoring the child, as per Form 20, in the best interest of the child.(8)The social investigation conducted by a social worker or Case Worker or Child Welfare Officer of the institution or any non-governmental organisation shall be as per Form 22 and must provide an assessment of the family situation of the child in detail, and explain in writing whether it will be in the best interest of the child to restore him to his family.(9)Before the Committee releases or restores the child, both the child as well as the parents or guardians may be referred to the Counsellor.(10)The Committee shall maintain proper records of the children produced before it including medical reports, social investigation report, any other report(s) and orders passed by the Committee in regard to the child.(11)In all cases pending inquiry, the Committee shall notify the next date of appearance of the child not later than fifteen days of the previous date and also seek periodic status report from the social worker or Case Worker or Child Welfare Officer conducting investigation on each such date.(12)In all cases pending inquiry, the Committee shall direct the person or institution with whom the child is placed to take steps for rehabilitation of the child including education, vocational training, etc., from the date of first production of the child itself.(13)Any decision taken by an individual member, when the Committee is not sitting, shall be ratified by the Committee in its next sitting.(14)At the time of final disposal of a case, there shall be at least three members present including the Chairperson, and in the absence of Chairperson, a member so nominated by the Chairperson to act as such.(15)The Committee shall function cohesively as a single body and as such shall not form any sub-committees.(16)Where a child has to be sent or repatriated to another district or state or country the Committee shall direct the District Child Protection Unit to take necessary permission as may be required, such as approaching the Foreigners Regional Registration Offices and Ministry of External Affairs for a no-objection certificate, contacting the counterpart Committee, or any other voluntary organisation in the other district or state or country where the child is to be sent.(17)At the time of final disposal of the case, the Committee shall incorporate in the order of disposal, an individual care plan in Form 7 of such child prepared by the social worker or Case Worker or Child Welfare Officer of the institution or any non-governmental organisation, as the case may be.(18)While finally disposing of the case, the Committee shall give a date for follow-up of the child not later than one month from the date of disposal of the case and thereafter once every month for the period of first six months and thereafter every three months for a minimum of one year or till such time as the Committee deems fit.(19)Where the child belongs to a different district, the Committee shall forward the age declaration, case file and the individual care plan to the Committee of the district concerned which shall likewise follow-up the individual care plan as if it had passed such disposal order.(20)The individual care plan shall be monitored by means of a rehabilitation card in Form 14 issued for the purpose by the Committee passing the disposal order and which shall form part of the record of the Committee which follow up the implementation of the individual care plan. Such rehabilitation card shall be maintained by the Rehabilitation- cum -Placement Officer.(21)All orders passed by the Committee in respect of a child in need of care and protection shall also be uploaded on the designated portal with due regard to the confidentiality and privacy of the child.(22)When a parent or guardian, wishes to surrender a child under sub-section (1) of section 35 of the Act, such parent or guardian shall make an application to the Committee in Form 23. Where such parent or guardian is unable to make an application due to illiteracy or any other reason, the Committee shall facilitate the same through the Legal Aid Counsel provided by the Legal Services Authority, the deed of surrender shall be executed as per Form 24.(23)The inquiry under sub-section 3 of section 35 of the Act shall be concluded by the Committee expeditiously and the Committee shall declare the surrendered child as legally free for adoption after the expiry of sixty days from the date of surrender.(24)In case of orphan or abandoned child, the Committee shall make all efforts for tracing the parents or guardians of the child and on completion of such inquiry, if it is established that the child is either an orphan having no one to take care, or abandoned, the Committee shall declare the child legally free for adoption.(25)In case an abandoned or orphan child is received by a Child Care Institution including a Specialised Adoption Agency, such a child shall be produced before the Committee within twenty-four hours (excluding the time necessary for the journey) along with a report in Form 17 containing the particulars and photograph of the child as well as the circumstances in which the child was received by it and a copy of such report shall also be submitted by the Child Care Institution or a Specialised Adoption Agency to the local police station within the same period.(26)The Committee shall issue an order in Form 18 for short term placement and interim care of the child, pending inquiry under section 36 of the Act.(27)The Committee shall use the designated portal to ascertain whether the abandoned child or orphan child is a missing child while causing the details of the orphan or the abandoned child to be uploaded.(28)The Committee, after taking into account the risk factors, and in the best interest of the child, may direct the publication of the particulars and photograph of an orphan or abandoned child in national newspapers with wide circulation within seventy two hours from the time of receiving the child for the purposes of tracing out the biological parents or the legal guardian(s).(29)The Committee, after making inquiry as per the provisions of the Act, shall issue an order in Form 25 declaring the abandoned or orphan child as legally free for adoption and send the same information to the Authority.(30)Where the parents of the child are traced, the procedure for restoration of the child shall be as per rule 82 of these rules.(31)While holding the inquiry relating to a child in need of care and protection who was found to be engaged or kept in bondage for the purpose of employment and /or whose earnings have been withheld, the Committee will, in addition to facilitating the registration of an First Investigation Report under section 79 of the Act, also order for the recovery of the earnings of the child withheld and the Committee, while so ordering recovery, shall be guided by the prescribed rate of minimum wages payable to an unskilled adult worker.
