Juveniles being forced into crime

The Delhi high court on Wednesday issued notice to the city police and the department of women and child development on a PIL alleging that a large number of underpriviledged juveniles were being forced to take up crime by organised gangs.
Seeking a direction to the authorities to protect children from being pushed into the world of crime, the PIL said the earlier order to the Delhi police to act against adult criminals, accused of pushing children into crime, has not been complied with.
Taking note of the petition filed by an NGO, a bench of Acting Chief Justice A.K. Sikri and Justice R.S. Endlaw asked the Delhi police to file a status report indicating the steps taken by it to implement the order of the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB), which had on January 25 last year asked the police to probe and act against adult offenders for using children in offences like theft.
The Juvenile Justice Board, taking note of an organised gang called “Thak-Thak” (knock-knock) gang, had asked the Delhi police to take action against the adult criminals for using children.
Lawyer Anant Asthana, appearing for the NGO Society of Values and Ethics in Education, submitted in the court, “The state and its instrumentalities should come forward with full might and determination to protect children who are being trapped into this circle of crime by adults due to their vulnerability, helplessness and tender age. This situation has been prevailing in Delhi for quite a long time now while the respondent (Delhi police) have been dealing with this problem in a casual manner not realising the gravity involved and not realising the urgency with which duty holders need to respond to this challenge,” the PIL said.

Read the article 30th August Asian Age

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