MP tops in juvenile crimes under IPC

Madhya Pradesh has earned the dubious distinction of being on the top of a list for crimes committed by juveniles for almost six years since 2005, thanks to grossly underpaid Juvenile Justice Board members who often remain absent. Satya Prakash reports.

Madhya Pradesh has earned the dubious distinction of being on the top of a list for crimes committed by juveniles for almost six years since 2005, thanks to grossly underpaid Juvenile Justice Board members who often remain absent.

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Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) in its latest report, "Madhya Pradesh: Snail Speed on Implementation of Juvenile Justice," said about 14,000 cases against child offenders under the Indian Penal Code were pending before the Juvenile Justice Boards (JJBs) in the state.

It only lost out on its top spot in 2009 when it came on the heels of Maharashtra in the juvenile delinquent list of states, an NGO said in a report released on Friday.

According to the report, about 5,000 cases of juvenile crimes under the IPC are reported in MP and over 5,000 juveniles are apprehended every year. An average of 2,000 cases remained pending every year and as of September, 2012 about 14,000 were pending before JJBs, the report stated.

ACHR director Suhas Chakma alleged the state government was not serious about implementing the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 as despite 14,000 cases pending DJBs were sitting for only two days in week.

"State has failed to pay R500 per sitting. Shamefully, the JJB members are paid Rs 120 per sitting," Chakma told HT.