Additional provisions regarding statement to be recorded
Full Text
(1) The Magistrate or the police officer, as the case may be, shall record the statement as spoken by the child in the presence of the parents of the child or any other person in whom the child has trust or confidence.
(2) Wherever necessary, the Magistrate or the police officer, as the case may be, may take the assistance of a translator or an interpreter, having such qualifications, experience and on payment of such fees as may be prescribed, while recording the statement of the child.
(3) The Magistrate or the police officer, as the case may be, may, in the case of a child having a mental or physical disability, seek the assistance of a special educator or any person familiar with the manner of communication of the child or an expert in that field, having such qualifications, experience and on payment of such fees as may be prescribed, to record the statement of the child.
(4) Wherever possible, the Magistrate or the police officer, as the case may be, shall ensure that the statement of the child is also recorded by audio-video electronic means.
Plain English Summary
Provides safeguards during statement recording: presence of parents or trusted person, assistance of translators or special educators for disabled children, and mandatory audio-video recording wherever possible.
Key Legal Elements
- Recording statement in presence of parents or a person trusted by the child
- Assistance of qualified translator or interpreter where language barrier exists
- Engagement of special educator or communication expert for children with physical or mental disability
- Recording of child statement by audio-video electronic means wherever possible
Practical Note
Audio-video recording under Section 26(4) creates vital contemporaneous electronic evidence under Section 65B of Evidence Act / 63 BSA. For children with speech/hearing impairment or intellectual disability, non-engagement of a certified special educator under Section 26(3) can vitiate prosecution credibility.
हिंदी पाठ
(1) यथास्थिति, मजिस्ट्रेट या पुलिस अधिकारी बालक के माता-पिता अथवा किसी ऐसे अन्य व्यक्ति की उपस्थिति में, जिस पर बालक भरोसा या विश्वास करता है, बालक द्वारा बोले गए रूप में ही उसका कथन दर्ज करेगा।
(2) जहां कहीं आवश्यक हो, यथास्थिति, मजिस्ट्रेट या पुलिस अधिकारी बालक का कथन दर्ज करते समय विहित अर्हताओं और अनुभव वाले तथा विहित फीस के संदाय पर किसी अनुवादक या दुभाषिए की सहायता ले सकेगा।
(3) यथास्थिति, मजिस्ट्रेट या पुलिस अधिकारी मानसिक या शारीरिक दिव्यांगता वाले बालक के मामले में, बालक का कथन दर्ज करने के लिए किसी विशेष शिक्षक (स्पेशल एजुकेटर) अथवा बालक की बातचीत के तौर-तरीकों से परिचित किसी व्यक्ति या उस क्षेत्र के किसी विशेषज्ञ की सहायता ले सकेगा।
(4) जहां तक संभव हो, यथास्थिति, मजिस्ट्रेट या पुलिस अधिकारी यह सुनिश्चित करेगा कि बालक का कथन ऑडियो-वीडियो इलेक्ट्रॉनिक माध्यम से भी रिकॉर्ड किया जाए।