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Section 107: Child Welfare Police Officer and Special Juvenile Police Unit

Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 • Official Statutory Text & Practice Guide

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Act 2015
Section 106 All 112 Sections of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 Section 108

Legal Commentary & Landmark Judgments: Section 107

Section 107 of the Act mandates the appointment of Child Welfare Police Officers (CWPO) in every police station and the constitution of a Special Juvenile Police Unit (SJPU) in every district, creating a specialized child-friendly police cadre.

  • Mandatory CWPO in Every Police Station: Obligates every police station to designate at least one officer not below the rank of Assistant Sub-Inspector as the designated Child Welfare Police Officer (CWPO).
  • Special Juvenile Police Unit (SJPU) at District Level: Mandates the creation of an SJPU in every district headed by a Deputy Superintendent of Police, consisting of all CWPOs and two civil society social workers.
  • Strict Requirement of Civilian Clothes & Child-Friendly Handling: Requires CWPOs to handle all apprehended children and child victims exclusively in plain clothes, strictly prohibiting police uniforms and coercive interrogation.
Key Landmark Precedents:
  • Sampurna Behura v. Union of India (2018) 4 SCC 433: Supreme Court directed all Directors General of Police (DGPs) to ensure that every police station has a trained CWPO in civil clothes and that SJPUs are fully functional in every district under Section 107.
  • Sheela Barse v. Union of India (1986) 3 SCC 596: Supreme Court held that police dealing with children must shed intimidating uniforms and adopt a protective, therapeutic role.
  • Bachpan Bachao Andolan v. Union of India (2011) 5 SCC 1: Affirmed that specialized child police units are vital to dismantle child trafficking networks.
Courtroom Practice & Strategic Litigation Guidance:

If regular uniform police officers arrest or interrogate a minor, file an immediate objection before the Principal Magistrate citing Section 107; children can only be handled by the designated plainclothes Child Welfare Police Officer (CWPO) or the SJPU.

Section 106 All 112 Sections of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 Section 108