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.

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.

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.

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.