Kochi, May 20 (IANS) The Kerala High Court on Tuesday slammed the authorities for not publishing the results of five juveniles, arrested for involvement in the murder of a 15-year-old Class 10 student in Kozhikode.

“How can you delay or deny publishing results?… Why should they even have to move the Child Rights Commission? Under what authority are you refusing to publish the results? Publishing the results is totally different from the offence committed by them. If they have written the examination, the results have to be published,” the court orally observed.

Counsel for one of the accused pointed out to the court that the results of the children have not been published even after being directed to do so by the Child Rights Commission.

He further pointed out that that the single window portal for application to Plus-one admission will be closed and after which none can apply.

At this, the court orally remarked: “The whole concept of criminal jurisprudence is reformation. Especially, when a child in conflict with law commits a crime, can you debar him from writing an examination? And after he has written the examination, can you withhold the results?”

If the delay in publishing the results is purposeful, the officers responsible for it would have to be held responsible, the court warned.

“Your officers who have not published the results despite this order have to be held responsible if it is a purposeful delay in publishing,” it said.

Shahabas, a student of MJ Higher Secondary School, Thamarassery, Kozhikode, succumbed to serious injuries on March 1 after being injured in the fight between the students of his school and Thamarassery GVHSS following a dispute during a farewell event at a tuition centre in the last week of February.

Even though the teachers intervened then through a series of WhatsApp messages, the tension escalated, leading to a violent clash near the tuition centre.

Shahabas suffered serious head injuries, which led to his death. Police pressed murder charges against the five and stated that the accused used weapons, including a truncheon and a nunchaku, for the attack on Shahabas.

Though Shahabas was not a student at the tuition centre, he was called to the venue while running an errand.

Following the attack, he was taken home by a friend.

Initially unaware of the attack, his family suspected drug use when they found him in a weak state at home.

Upon learning the truth, he was rushed to Thamarassery Taluk Hospital and later shifted to Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital, where he passed away.

The five have been charged with murder, wrongful restraint, unlawful assembly, and voluntarily causing grave injuries.

All five are students since then have been in judicial custody and wrote their examination also in custody.

Their bail applications will be heard on Wednesday.

–IANS

sg/vd