75% of juveniles held in 2014 were above 16 years of age

In that year, a total of 33,526 cases (under IPC) were registered against minors, as against an overall  total number of 28,51,563 cases registered in the country.

When cases that were filed under Special Local Law were added to the IPC data, the total number of cases against juveniles shot up to 48,230. About 75 per cent of those accused in these cases were in the age group of 16-18 years.

Earlier this year, despite severe criticism from a section of lawyers and NGOs, the Union Cabinet approved a proposal to amend the Juvenile Justice Act. Yet to get Parliament clearance, the proposal seeks to try juveniles between the age group of 16-18 years and that have been accused of heinous crimes, under laws meant for adults.

The proposed amendment, however, provides that in case a heinous crime has been committed by a person between 16 and 18 years, it will be examined by the Juvenile Justice Board which will assess whether the crime was committed as a ‘child’ or as an ‘adult’.

Here’s a breakdown of the 2014 data for crimes that were registered against juveniles in that specific age group

There were a total of 36,138 cases registered in 2014. Of these cases, the highest pertained to riots (1,733 cases), kidnapping at rank two (1,635 cases) and cases of rape stood third (1,488 cases).

Other crime heads under which juveniles between the age group of 16-18 years were reported, were, assault on women to outrage her modesty (1,392 cases); murder (844 cases); and attempt to murder (806 cases).

In comparison, data for children below 16 years of age showed there were 656 cases of rape registered against them and 319 cases of murder.

In March 2014, a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, led by then Chief Justice P Sathasivam, had refused to lower the age of juvenility.

However, a different Bench headed by Justice Deepak Mishra in April that year had said that the law could be “re-looked, re-scrutinized and re-visited, at least in respect of offences which are heinous in nature.”