VISAKHAPATNAM: The gruesome case of an eight-year-old girl who was kidnapped, raped, and murdered by three minor boys under Muchhumarri police station limits in Pagidyala mandal, Nandyal district, is not an isolated crime committed by juveniles. The police estimate that 80 to 90 minors are apprehended in Andhra Pradesh every month for various crimes.
Recently, a 45-year-old teacher, Ezhas Ahmed, at the ZP High School in Kothapalle village of Rayachoti mandal in Annamayya district, was reportedly beaten to death by three students in the classroom.
The teacher was prompting the students to maintain calm in the classroom, and in the process, he reportedly chided a batch of students. Reacting to this, three students pounced on the teacher, striking him in the chest, leading to his death.
Though the number of cases in which juveniles were named as accused has decreased by over 5.5 percent in the past five years (2018 to 2022) in Andhra Pradesh, as per the NCRB report, juveniles’ involvement in crimes has been a matter of concern.
The involvement of juveniles in crimes ranging from minor offences to heinous crimes has been reported in parts of the state. Between 2018 and 2022, a total of 4,391 cases, including 4,073 cases under BNS, were committed by juveniles in Andhra Pradesh.
As per the Juvenile Justice Act (JJA), a juvenile is defined as a person under 18 years of age. However, juveniles aged 16-18 who commit heinous crimes, as defined by the JJA and BNS, may be tried as adults. This is contingent upon a prior assessment of their mental and physical condition by the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB).
Speaking to TOI, Superintendent of Observation Home for Juveniles (Boys), Visakhapatnam, K Veerayya, said the juveniles’ involvement was seen in all sorts of criminal activities, including murder, kidnap, sexual offences, and property offences. The educational background of juveniles in the Vizag region is primary to matric and matric higher secondary, he added.
A senior police officer said 50 percent of juveniles apprehended for committing crimes studied up to primary levels, and around 90 percent of them resided with parents in the state. The juveniles have been involved in the transportation of ganja, kidnaps, and murders, he added.
As many as 5,445 juveniles were apprehended between 2018 and 2022 in the state. 116 juveniles were awarded punishment during the period. There are many reasons behind the increasing involvement in crimes, such as financial issues, broken families, the lure of easy money, and attraction towards a lavish lifestyle, the police added.
A senior police officer, A Narasimha Murthy, said they observed that a lack of parental control is one of the major reasons for the increasing involvement of juveniles in offences. He appealed to the parents to keep a watch on their children to ensure they don’t develop an addiction.
