Section 74 of JJ Act : Section 74: Prohibition On Disclosure Of Identity Of Children

Explanation using Example

Imagine a situation where a 16-year-old boy is apprehended for theft. The case is being covered by local news. Under Section 74 of The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, the media is prohibited from disclosing the boy's name, address, school, or any other details that might reveal his identity. Furthermore, they cannot publish his photograph. Despite this, an online news article is published that includes the boy's name and a picture of him being taken into custody.

In this scenario, the publication of the article violates Section 74(1) of the Act. The police are also reminded that they cannot disclose any records of the boy for character certificates or any other purpose as per Section 74(2). Since the law has been breached, the person responsible for the article could face imprisonment of up to six months, a fine of up to two lakh rupees, or both, according to Section 74(3).