Daijiworld Media Network - Raipur

Raipur, Feb 20: The Chhattisgarh High Court has rejected a juvenile’s appeal for bail in a 2025 murder case, ruling that such relief cannot be considered an automatic right and that release would “defeat the ends of justice” given the severity of the crime.

Justice Arvind Kumar Verma upheld earlier orders from the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) and the sessions court in Dhamtari, noting that the court was “not convinced” a juvenile could claim bail without careful scrutiny of the offence.

“JJB and the sessions court rightly prioritised child protection over routine bail in a heinous offence like murder. Such acts severely disrupt social order, violate the inherent dignity of childhood, and demand collective vigilance to restore moral balance,” Justice Verma said in his February 13 judgment.

The minor, who allegedly stabbed Vikas Dhruv on June 6, 2025, after an altercation, had filed a criminal revision plea under the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015, challenging the sessions court’s October 31, 2025 order denying bail.

The juvenile’s counsel argued that the lower courts failed to consider the reformative intent of the 2015 law and warned that continued detention in an observation home could expose the minor to negative influences. The defence also claimed the attack was in self-defence, and noted the accused had no prior criminal record and came from a disadvantaged background.

Government counsel Vivek Sharma countered that the lower courts had properly evaluated the evidence and stressed the serious nature of the crime.