NCRB data: 45% arrestees 18 to 30 years old in Ludhiana
Of the 9,678 people arrested in Ludhiana in 2020, as many as 4,356 arrestees were aged between 18 to 30 years; 3,440 were aged between 30 to 45 years and 129 were elderly persons, as per NCRB data
Around 4,356 arrestees were aged between 18 to 30 years; 3,440 were aged between 30 to 45 years and 129 were elderly persons, of which nine were women. The NCRB data shows that the majority of the people arrested were youngsters, who instead of choosing a career path, had taken to crime to make a living.
Drop in cases due to pandemic
Last year, the police had arrested 9,678 people against 6,741 cases, a drop from the 7,369 cases registered in 2019 and 8,470 cases registered in 2018. Officials attribute the drop in cases to the imposition of the lockdown. Of those arrested, 59 were juveniles and 680, which is 7% of the total arrests were women.
Of the cases registered in 2020, 4,808 were under sections of the Indian Penal Code, and 1,933 were under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, Excise Act, Gambling Act and other special laws.
Consulting psychologist Dr Rajiv Sharma says the youth were increasingly resorting to crimes as they were influenced by the lavish life shown in music albums, tele-serials and films. “Instead of working hard, they want to become rich overnight. The 18 to 30 age bracket is crucial as most people find direction to their lives in these years, but those who resort to crime, end up spending their peak years in jail.”