(1) Save as provided in this Act, no person shall be present at any Persons who may sitting of a competent authority, except — be present before competent autho-(a) an officer of the competent authority ; or rity.
(b) the partiesto the inquiry before the competent authority, the parent_ _ _ .
or guardian of the child and other persons directly concerned in the inquiry including police officers ; and such other persons as the competent authority may permit to be present.
((•)
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub -section (1), if at any stage during an inquiry, a competent authority considers it to be expedient in the interest of the child or on grounds of decency or morality that any person or the child himself should withdraw, the competent authority may give such direction, and if such person refuses to comply with such direction, the competent authority may have him removed and may, for this purpose, cause to be used such force as may be necessary.
(3) No legal practitioner or public prosecutor shall be entitled to appear before a competent authority in any case or proceeding before it, except with the permission of that authority.
28. Any competent authority before which a child is brought under any of the provisions of this Act may, whenever it so thinks fit, require any parent or guardian having the actual charge of, or control over, the child to be present at any proceeding in respect of the child.
29. If, at any stage during the course of an inquiry, a competent authority is satisfied that the attendance of the child is not essential for the purpose of the inquiry, the competent authority may dispense with his attendance and proceed with the inquiry in his absence.
Attendance of parent or guardian of child.
Dispensing with attendance of child.