Four juveniles commits crime every day in Delhi

Every day in Delhi, four juveniles are in conflict with law leaving investigators helpless and many such juveniles are involved in various crimes consecutively.

In 2013 till September, 1038 juveniles were found to be in conflict with law and there were apprehended.  “Many of them get out of Observation Home and again commit crime. They are repeat offenders but we are helpless as we can’t do anything,” said law enforcer, on condition of anonymity.  

The statistics are alarming: Till September, in heinous crimes 884, juveniles were involved. While in 2012, in 1171 heinous incident, including December 16 brutal gang rape case, juveniles were involved, in 2011, juveniles were involved in as much 757 heinous incidents.    

As per records, 1572 juveniles were apprehended in 2012 and were sent to Observation Homes. In 2011, 942 juveniles were sent to Observation Homes.

This year, 106 juveniles were apprehended in rape cases, 89 in robbery cases, 55 in murder cases, 47 for attempts to murder, 262 for burglaries and 111 for auto thefts.

With increase in numbers juveniles’ involvement in crime, the law enforcer agencies are feeling helpless as the existing law has tied their hands.

Around one and half month ago,  thirty-three juveniles detained at an observation home in north-west Delhi’s Kingsway Camp area, escaped from there after indulging in stone pelting, causing the explosion of two gas cylinders and starting a fire that gutted several offices of the Home, including that of the superintendent.

The staff of the observation home said that out of the 33 juveniles who escaped, 15 have been caught by the police. The rest 18 are at large. There was a previous breakout by about seven inmates from the observation home in 2010, according to the officials working there.

Five of these were again nabbed in brutal murder-cum-robbery at New Ashok Nagar area where they killed a middle aged woman while committing robbery.

Seeing the more and more juveniles’ involvement in crimes, the police is looking at Centre Government’s stand on this issue.

The parents of 23-year-old physiotherapist student -- Badrinath Singh and his wife Asha Devi – too recently approached apex court with a plea that criminal courts should be allowed to take a decision if to try juveniles like adults after gauging their “maturity and understanding”. “We are not satisfied over the sixth accused – juvenile – being sentenced for three years,” said Badrinath Singh adding that its not the government to take the decision on it.

ENDS

Interestingly, convicts in Tihar take parole to get married

Rakesh Singh 35, who is lodged in Tihar jail and is serving a life term for murder, can’t wait to get married.

He has written to Delhi government seeking permission to be released on parole for four days to tie the knot with his long time acquaintance Roshni. In his letter he has written how he was committed to Roshni and his long-cherished dream to marry her.

Rakesh is not alone.

Tihar jail authorities are literally flooded with such requests from convicts languishing in Asia’s biggest prison over the past few years – several of them seeking parole to marry.

“Several of such convicts marry after being granted parole. This is a growing trend and we do not have any complaints. It is a positive thing and would also help them in rehabilitating once they get out of prison after serving their term,” said a senior prison official.

Over the past two years over 150 convicts have got married after being allowed parole.

“Another good thing is that the promise of an ordered family life after jail made such convicts to be on good behaviour inside prison. After marriage they become more disciplined and well-mannered, he added.

But there are others who misuse the relief and go missing after being granted parole --- 26 convicts have gone missing in the last two years after they were granted relief.

“This is why we have written to the Delhi government to make parole rules more stringent and amend the existing guidelines,” another official said.
Last year Delhi high court granted Manu Sharma, serving a life term for the 1999 murder of Jessica Lal, parole for five days to attend his brother’s wedding but laid down a condition -- he wouldn’t visit nightclubs or discotheques during the five days.

In 2009 Delhi government had landed in a soup after recommending parole to Sharma who was found partying in a discotheque in the capital the last time he had been granted parole to visit his ailing mother in Chandigarh and attend his grandmother’s last rites.

According to the official jail authorities get 20-25 applications every month from convicts seeking parole on several grounds including marriage.

“Only those who are well-behaved and have never been involved in any untoward incident inside prison are allowed,” said Sunil Gupta, law officer Tihar jail

Parole is granted to convicts on grounds of sickness in the family, perform funeral rite, attend marriage, sorting out property dispute, construct a house or repair a damaged house, education or any other sufficient reasons.

It is granted by the governor, Delhi, and the high court if the appeal is pending there.
The relief allows a convict to leave the prison for a period of maximum one month on condition that he would behave appropriately after release and report back to the prison on termination of the parole period.

At present 12,000 inmates are lodged in Tihar jail and 25-30 percent of them are convicts.

“Inmates in Tihar are relatively young and the average age being 25-40. We are very happy that some of them are getting married on parole. It helps them in rehabilitation after serving their terms,” Gupta said.

In 2010, Tihar also introduced a furlough provision which an inmate can avail thrice in a year.

“But again convicts with a good track record and having good conduct are allowed furlough. The director general (prisons) has the discretionary power to allow furlough to a convict or deny,” said a jail official.

Prison officials said that many women marry convicts with an eye on his property.

“Once married prisoners can also seek furlough,” an official added.

Another jail official pointed out how the love story of a convict touched the hearts of the two judges of the Supreme Court so much that they granted parole to him to marry his fianacee in June this year.

Justice H.L.Gokhale and Justice Ranjana Prakash granted four weeks parole to life convict Mahesh Sharma to get him married to his beloved Sonia on June 25 in Delhi.

Sharma’s counsel pleaded that families of both the bride and bridegroom would face great embarrassment if he could not make it for the marriage ceremony fixed for June 25.

Sharma got engaged to his fiancée on April 14 while he was on a month long parole from April 4 to May 4. Their marriage was fixed on May 20 but his application for extension of parole was rejected by Delhi government.

It was then the marriage was rescheduled for June 25.

Sharma was arrested on the charges of murder by Delhi police in May 15, 2004 and was convicted and awarded life term November 3, 2009 by the trial court and was upheld by the high court and the apex court.

According to jail norms wives are allowed to meet their husbands twice a week which is a normal procedure.

Last year Punjab government announced that they may allow select male inmates to have sex with their partners in a designated area of the jail.

 If the proposal, which is part of the jails reforms programme, is allowed then Punjab will become the first state to allow sex in prison.

ENDS