Rising delinquency in Chandigarh a cause of concern
A spate of heinous crimes in the city involving minors has brought the spotlight back on juvenile delinquency, especially the disturbing trend of teenagers being implicated in violent offences such as murder.
Five juveniles have already been apprehended for murder in the first four months of this year alone. This brings the total number of juveniles arrested for murder since the year 2020 to 36, reflecting a broader issue of increasing violent tendencies among youth.
According to the data shared by Chandigarh Police, 587 juveniles have been apprehended for various crimes, including murder, attempt to murder, rape, kidnapping, rioting, dacoity, robbery, snatching and theft, since 2020. The figures indicate a fluctuating trend over the years, with juvenile arrests for murder recorded as four each in 2020 and 2021, two in 2022, a significant increase to 17 in 2023, four in 2024, and five in just the first four months of the current year.
Most offenders in age group of 16-18 years
The data released by the Chandigarh Police categorised juvenile offenders by age group since the year 2020. The majority of apprehended juveniles were aged between 16 and 18 years (299), followed closely by those in the age group of 12 to 16 years (281). In seven cases, juveniles aged below 12 have been apprehended.
Among other serious crimes, juveniles were allegedly involved in 64 cases of attempt to murder, 38 of rape, and 64 cases of snatching during this period. The highest 86 juveniles have been apprehended for theft followed by 64 for snatching and attempt to murder and 60 for rioting.
Areas like Sector 25, Ram Darbar and Manimajra witnessed frequent cases of rioting and hurling burning bottles at houses in the past one month. Similarly, stabbing incidents led to multiple FIRs against juveniles. One such case was the death of a PU student, Aditya Thakur, who was attacked in the South campus by a group of outsiders. The main accused in the case is a 17-year old boy.
The data also categorises juvenile offenders by age group, revealing that the majority of apprehended juveniles were aged between 16 and 18 years (299), followed closely by those in the age group of 12 to 16 years (281). In seven cases, juveniles aged below 12 have been apprehended.
The details highlight the increasing involvement of minors in violent and property crimes in the city and underscore the ongoing challenge faced by law enforcement agencies in addressing juvenile delinquency.
The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act aims to ensure that minors are reintegrated into society and not stigmatised by their past offences. This means that a juvenile’s criminal record, if any, cannot be a bar for employment after attaining the age of 18.
Chandigarh