AUG 23: The Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) Shopian, led by Principal Magistrate Bazila Bashir, conducted a detailed inspection of Police Station Zainapora to review compliance with child protection and juvenile justice protocols.
The inspection was carried out under Section 8 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, which authorizes the Board to regularly examine facilities where juveniles may be detained, including police stations. The primary objective of the visit was to ensure that no minors were unlawfully kept in adult custody and that all procedures concerning children in conflict with the law were strictly followed.
A dedicated team comprising Shireen, Member JJB Shopian; Rafie Ahmad Ganie, Chief Legal Aid Defence Counsel (LADC) Shopian; Nighat Meharbaan, Assistant Public Prosecutor (APP); and Sumaira Imtiyaz, Legal-cum-Probation Officer (LcPO), joined the inspection.
During the visit, the team undertook a thorough review of detention records, custody registers, and interrogation facilities. They also carried out a physical inspection of holding areas and examined whether proper age determination protocols were being applied for apprehended individuals. Special attention was given to assessing compliance with juvenile-friendly procedures mandated under the law.
Following the inspection, Principal Magistrate Bazila Bashir directed the immediate appointment of a Special Juvenile Police Officer (SJPO) at Police Station Zainapora to strengthen the implementation of child rights safeguards within the station.
Importantly, after carefully reviewing records and physically verifying individuals in custody, the team confirmed that no juveniles were detained at the police station at the time of inspection.
The exercise reaffirmed the commitment of the Juvenile Justice Board Shopian to uphold the rights of children and to ensure that police stations across the district strictly adhere to the provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act.
 Shopian, led by Principal Magistrate Bazila Bashir, conducted a detailed inspection of Police Station){kind=link}