E-Paper
‘Involvement of juveniles in murders has increased over the past three years’
In 2018, there were five murder cases with six minor accused; in 2019, the number of cases jumped to 10 and the accused to 23. In 2020, even with the lockdown in place, the number of cases remained 10 and the number of accused was 26, according to records of Pune police
The direct and indirect involvement of underage children in cases of murder has increased over the past three years, according to the number of recorded murder cases with minor accused.
In 2018, there were five murder cases with six minor accused; in 2019, the number of cases jumped to 10 and the accused to 23. In 2020, even with the lockdown in place, the number of cases remained 10 and the number of accused was 26, according to records of the Pune police.
Of the 10 cases in 2020, two each were registered in Yerawada and Hadapsar, while one each was registered at Kothrud, Dattawadi, Sinhgad road, Vishrantwadi, Wanowrie, and Kondhwa.
While the involvement of children in the act of killing is not as high as the number of children who are involved as an accessory to the crime. The reason is the easily impressionable minds of these children, according to a social activist who has worked extensively and has written a book about her experiences with children in conflict with the law (CCL).
“The actual involvement in the killings was very less. They were involved in things like keeping a watchout for police or subduing the victim. The children who were involved in killings, they were seldom involved without an adult. In my book, there are case studies of children involved in gangwar, murder, attempted murder, theft, rape, kidnapping and I have worked closely with them,” said Amita Naidu, author of a book called “Pahila Nambarkari”, Manovikas publication, based on the lives of CCL.
The age of the children involved in murder cases have also often found to be between 15-18 years of age, observes Bachchan Singh, Deputy commissioner of police, crime, Pune. According to their involvement, their punishment by the Juvenile Justice Board and their treatment during their time in the observation home also varies.
“Of all the cases, only 5% must be involved in actual cases. Most cases of under-15 CCL in murder cases are those where there is no motive or intention and between age group of 16-18 years. In most cases, they are just a part of the group which is involved in the violence. There are issues like lack of attention from children, abusive parents, broken families, economic weakness which are paired with lucrative offers for things like junk food, drugs, among other things,” said a lawyer who has been working closely with CCLs in Pune.
“Those accused in murder cases are generally found to be between the age of 14-18 years. Every child’s story post-observation home is different. Even the judge grants bail based on specific conditions and can be planned. Conditions generally include things like not visiting the specific location for some time, not getting in touch with the ones who provoked the child in the first place, community service, completion of studies, among other things,” said Zaid Sayed, social worker who was formerly attached with the Tata Insitute of Social Science (TISS) collaboration with the Juvenile Justice Board.
When asked about a case registered at Dattawadi police station of a minor involved in a murder case, senior police inspector Krishna Indalkar said, “The case was of a 17-year-old who, along with two others, caught a person late in the night for the purpose of robbery. But they were enraged that the man did not have much on him and they beat him to death. He was involved in the violent part of it.”
However, every once in a while, there are cases of violent murders in which children below the age of 15 years. The recent case in Kothrud was a rude awakening after a lull in such cases where children commit violent murders. A 13-year-old had bludgeoned an 11-year-old boy to death with a stone.
“The main reason in such cases, I have observed, is that the child has not yet grasped the entirety of what they have done. In the recent case in Kothrud, the child was calm right up till the point where he realised that there were so many people looking for him. There was a case of two 16-year-olds involved in a case of sexual assault and murder of a minor girl in Hingoli. After the amendment in the Juvenile Justice Act, they were awarded capital punishment by the sessions court,” recounts Ashok Morale, additional commissioner of police, crime, Pune.
The child is in the observation home and is also being counselled by the Bharosa Cell of Pune police that helps women, senior citizens and children.
“Our job is on a case-by-case basis. We talk to the children as and when such a case is registered. Currently, we are working with the child who was booked in the Kothrud case. No two cases are similar,” said police inspector Uttam Chakre of Bharosa Cell.
There are multiple other social activists and officers who observed that the socio-economic conditions of CCLs are closely linked with their actions and circle of influence.
