Section 26 in The Juvenile Justice (Punjab) Rules, 1987
26. Leave of Absence.
(1)The inmate of an institution may be given leave of absence to go and stay with his family during school vacations, festivals, emergencies or special occasion like marriage in the family. While the leave of absence for short periods not exceeding 15 days in a year may be granted by the Superintendent, long leave upto six weeks in a year may be sanctioned by the Chief Inspector. Granting of such leave shall be at the discretion of the sanctioning authority and it cannot be claimed as a right.(2)The parents or guardian of the juvenile shall submit an application to the Superintendent requesting for release of the juvenile on leave, stating clearly the purpose for the leave and the period of leave. If the Superintendent considers that granting of such leave is in the interest of the juvenile, he shall call for a detailed report of the Probation Officer on the advisability or otherwise of granting such leave and take decision himself or forward the case to the Chief Inspector, as the case may be. While issuing orders sanctioning the leave of absence, the sanctioning authority shall clearly mention the period of leave and the conditions attached to the leave order. If any of these conditions are not complied with during the leave period, the juvenile may be recalled to the institution.(3)The parent or guardian shall arrange to escort the juvenile from and to the institution and bear the travelling expenses. In exceptional cases or during an emergency the Superintendent may arrange to escort the juvenile to the place of the family and back.(4)If the juvenile runs away from his home during the leave period, the parent or guardian are required to inform the Superintendent of the institution immediately and try to trace the juvenile and if found, escort him to the institution. If the parent or guardians do not take proper care of the juvenile during the leave period or do not bring him back to the institution within the stipulated period such leave may be refused on later occasions. If the juvenile does not return to the institution on expiry of the sanctioned leave the case shall be referred to the police for taking charge of the juvenile and bringing him back to the institution.(5)The period of such leave shall be deemed to be part of the period of his detention in the institution. The time which elapses after the failure of an inmate to return to the institution within the stipulated period shall be excluded in computing the period of his detention in the institution.
