Kochi City police have registered an FIR against more than 17 social media handles for allegedly revealing the identity of the juvenile accused in the fatal Cheranelloor road accident, citing provisions of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act.
The case was registered on Tuesday after a special court dealing with cases involving atrocities against women and children directed the police to remove posts that identified the child and initiate action against those responsible. Police said the accused include social media influencers and online channels.
The FIR invokes Section 74 of the Juvenile Justice Act. The provision prohibits reports in newspapers, magazines, news-sheets, audio-visual media and other forms of communication from disclosing the name, address, school or any other detail that could lead to the identification of a child in conflict with law.
The police action follows the circulation of posts connected to the fatal accident on Container Road near Maraparambu in Cheranelloor. According to the report, a Mercedes Benz driven by the 17-year-old allegedly rammed a scooter on October 25, killing 55-year-old Jayabalakrishnan, who ran a roadside eatery in Chittoor.
The accident case has also named the juvenile’s father, an additional district judge, as an accused, according to police. The report does not provide details of the specific social media accounts named in the FIR or the nature and extent of the posts that allegedly revealed the juvenile’s identity.
Section 74 is intended to protect children involved in proceedings from public identification, including through details that may indirectly reveal who they are. The provision applies during an inquiry, investigation or judicial procedure and covers more than the direct publication of a child’s name.
The court’s direction to take down the posts places removal of the material alongside the police investigation into those who published or circulated it. The reported action also brings social media pages and online channels within the scope of the police response to alleged violations of child-protection safeguards.
The underlying road accident had already drawn attention because it involved a juvenile driver, a high-end vehicle and the death of a local small-business operator. The new FIR shifts part of the legal action to the online circulation of identifying information, while the accident proceedings continue separately.
The Kochi City police are expected to proceed with the investigation under Section 74 and examine the social media handles and online channels named in the case. The special court’s direction remains the stated basis for the takedown action and the registration of the FIR.
