Section 76 of JJ Act : Section 76: Employment Of Child For Begging

Explanation using Example

Imagine a scenario where a man named Arjun is found employing children at a traffic signal to beg for money from passing vehicles. Arjun instructs the children to knock on car windows and plead for money, promising them a small share of the earnings. The police apprehend Arjun after receiving a tip from a concerned citizen who noticed the children begging daily.

Upon investigation, it is discovered that Arjun is not related to these children but has taken them from a nearby slum, promising their parents that he will provide them with food and education. Instead, he uses them for begging. Under Section 76(1) of The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, Arjun would face imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years and would also be liable to a fine of one lakh rupees for using children for the purpose of begging.

Additionally, if it were found that Arjun deliberately caused injury to the children to elicit sympathy from the public and increase the amount of money collected from begging, the punishment would be even more severe. He would face rigorous imprisonment for a term not less than seven years, which may extend up to ten years, and a fine of five lakh rupees, as per the proviso to Section 76(1).

Moreover, the children used by Arjun for begging would not be treated as children in conflict with the law. Instead, they would be removed from his charge and produced before the Child Welfare Committee for appropriate rehabilitation, as per Section 76(2).