Gurgaon Juvenile Justice Board has declared 25 minors as adults since 2016

The Juvenile Justice Act, which allows children aged 16 to 18 years and in conflict with law to be tried as adults in cases of heinous offences, came into force in January, last year.

Published on: Dec 21, 2017, 00:01:55 IST

hindustan times | By Leena Dhankhar, Gurgaon

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After the amendment of Juvenile Justice Act (JJ) last year, the Juvenile Justice Board in Gurgaon has so far declared 25 juveniles as adults. Trial in 20 cases is going on and five accused have been convicted so far.

In the last such case, a 16-year-old juvenile accused —apprehended by the CBI on November 7 for murdering a Class 2 student of Ryan International School — was proclaimed to be tried as an adult and the case transferred to the Special Sessions Court on Wednesday.

The Juvenile Justice Act, which allows children aged 16 to 18 years and in conflict with law to be tried as adults in cases of heinous offences, came into force in January, last year. The law came after a outcry over the release of a minor convicted in the December 16 gang rape case. On January 4, the then President Pranab Mukherjee endorsed the law.

In some of the recent convictions in Gurgaon, a juvenile — who was later treated as an adult — was convicted by a sessions court to 10 years in jail for murder in July. Another 17-year-old juvenile, who was tried as an adult, was also convicted for ten years for rape and murder in August.

The five cases where juveniles were convicted include dacoity, murder, snatching, and rape.

After the December 16, 2012, gang rape in Delhi, which shook the nation, amendment were made to the Juvenile Justice Act and a provision of preliminary assessment was added so that a juvenile who committed a heinous offence was subjected to harsher punishment.

According to the Juvenile Justice Board members, Section 2(33) of JJ Act speaks about heinous offence and covers crimes punishable with not less than 7 years.

Also, Section 397 (snatching), 302(Murder) of IPC and section 4 and 6 of Pocso act are classified as heinous offences.

Past cases where juveniles declared adults:

June 09, 2017: A five-year-old girl was allegedly raped by her juvenile neighbour in Kanhai village near Sector 45 and a case was registered at Women police station in Sector 51. The victim was medically examined and is now stable, the police said. The 16-year-old accused was sent to the Observation Home, Faridabad.

May 2016: A 17-year-old juvenile was booked for unnatural sex with a 12-year-old boy. He served nine months in a juvenile home and was released in year 2016 but he was again apprehended by the police on May 12, 2016 for raping his 14-year-old sister who was later pregnant.

June 03, 2016: Gurgaon police arrested three juveniles who were involved in murder and robbery in Sector 5. They were sent to the Observation Home. Cops had recovered three pistols loaded with bullets from them and the accused were arrested under 25-54-59 Arms Act at Palam Vihar police.

November 06, 2016: Two juveniles were arrested in connection with murdering a 29-year-old man near the Guru Dronacharya Metro station.They had stabbed the man to death following a brawl.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Leena Dhankhar
Leena Dhankhar is Senior Editor and Bureau Chief, Gurugram, at Hindustan Times, where she has spent over 17 years chronicling the transformation of one of India's fastest-growing urban regions. From starting her career as a crime reporter to leading the Gurugram bureau, her journalism has been defined by investigative reporting, in-depth storytelling and an unwavering focus on public interest. Over nearly two decades, she has reported extensively across crime, politics, civic governance, elections, real estate, environment, courts, sports, education and entertainment, covering Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal. Her reporting has exposed several major scams and systemic failures, including insurance frauds, waste management irregularities, illegal arms manufacturing units in Nuh, illegal mining in the Aravallis, organised crime networks and governance lapses affecting millions of residents. Known for her investigative work and exclusive stories, Leena has reported on high-impact national issues, including the Nicaragua charter flight carrying Indian migrants that was turned back amid allegations of human trafficking, exposing the growing network of illegal immigration rackets. Her work has also focused on gang wars, prison administration, juvenile crime, women and child protection systems, the functioning of the Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee, and environmental challenges such as pollution, waterlogging and deteriorating civic infrastructure. Beyond hard news, Leena has extensively documented Haryana's rich heritage, forests and wildlife, bringing attention to the state's historical landmarks, biodiversity, conservation efforts and ecological challenges through immersive reportage and feature writing. Her journalism has consistently gone beyond breaking news. She has documented Gurugram's rapid urbanisation through long-form narratives and enterprise reporting on issues ranging from pothole-ridden roads, flooding and waste management to the changing social fabric of India's Millennium City. She also writes widely read feature columns, including The Outsider, Changemaker, and Concern for Gurugram, profiling people, places and ideas shaping the city's identity. Leena is the author of Gurugram School Murder, published by Juggernaut Books, a deeply reported account of one of India's most high-profile school murder investigations. She is currently working on her second book, an investigative work exploring some of India's most significant scams and fraud investigations. Beyond print journalism, she has expanded her storytelling through public speaking and digital media. She is a TEDx speaker and has produced podcasts exploring Gurugram's transformation, civic challenges and untold stories. Her work reflects a commitment to narrative journalism that combines rigorous reporting with compelling storytelling. A law graduate with an MBA in Human Resources, Leena brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her reporting, particularly on governance, public policy and legal affairs. She has travelled extensively across India to pursue investigative assignments, often reporting from remote locations and conflict-prone areas in search of stories that matter.Read More