Placing out on licence

(1) Subject to the prescribed conditions the Chief Inspector, may at any time after the expiration of six months from the commencement of the detention of a child in a children’s home, certified school or fit person institution, on the recommendations of the visitors or manager of such home, school or institution or on application by a parent, other relation or guardian, reinforced by such inquiry as may be prescribed, release such child from the home, school or institution and grant him a written licence in the prescribed form and on the prescribed conditions permitting him to live under the supervision and authority of a responsible person or society willing to take charge of the child and approved by the Chief Inspector. (2) Any licence granted under sub-section (1) shall be in force until revoked under sub-section (3) or forfeited by the breach of any of the conditions on which it was granted. (3) The Chief Inspector may at any time by order in writing revoke any licence and order the child to return to the children’s home, certified school or fit person institution and shall do so at the desire of the person or society with whom or under whose supervision, he is licenced to live, if the child refuses or fails to return to the home, school or fit person institution, the Chief Inspector may, if, he thinks fit in the interest of the child so to do, direct by an order the arrest of the child and cause him to be placed before a competent authority or taken back to home, school or fit person institution. (4) When a licence has been revoked or forfeited the child refusing or failing to return to the home, school or fit person institution, has not been arrested and placed before the competent authority under the provisions of sub-section (3), the competent authority may if satisfied by information on oath or solemn affirmation that there is reasonable ground for believing that his parent or guardian could produce the child, issue a summons requiring the parent or guardian to attend the competent authority on such day as may be specified in the summons and to produce the child and if he fails to do so without reasonable excuse, he shall, in addition to any other liability to which he may be subject to under the provisions of this Act, on conviction, be punished with fine which may extend to one hundred rupees. (5) Where a parent or guardian is directed to pay a fine under this section, the amount may be recovered in accordance with the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (Central Act 2 of 1974). (6) The time during which a child is absent from a children’s home, certified school or fit person institution, in pursuance of a licence granted under this section shall be deemed to be part of the time of his detention in the home, school or institution: Provided that where a child has failed to return to the school or institution on the licence being revoked or forfeited the time which lapses after his failure so to return shall be excluded in computing the time during which he is to be detained in the home, school or institution.