Pune is fourth in country in crimes against children

23/12/2017

PUNE: The recently published National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report issued by the ministry of home affairs, New Delhi has put Pune at the fourth position in terms of crimes committed against children in 2016.

Pune city recorded 1180 cases of crimes against children registered in different police stations of the city commissionerate. Kondhwa Police Station registered as many as 34 cases under the POCSO ( Protection of Children from Sexual Offences ) Act in 2017.

Pune is amongst the 19 metropolitan cities which saw the third highest number of murders committed by juveniles after Delhi and Bengalaru and stood second in the category of attempt to murder by the minors. According to the NCRB survey, Pune is also among the top three cities showing the trend of rise in serious crimes committed by juveniles (Children in Conflict with Law CLL). Pune and Delhi have witnessed the highest number of sexual harassment crimes committes by juveniles during last year.

Interestingly, 749 cases against minor were registered in Pune in 2016 wherein 1067 juveniles were apprehended for their involvement in serious crimes ranging from murder, rape, extortion and other serious crimes. Most of the Children in Conflict with Law (CLL) are illiterate NCRB data states.

Kondhwa Police Inspector Milind Gaikwad said that the failure of parents to monitor their children and inculcate moral values was one of the prime reason behind the rise in crimes by the juveniles and also juveniles being targeted by the criminals.

“Adult supervision and parental control over what their children are doing is very essential to keep a check on the rise of crimes being committed by the minors. We are also sensitizing our staff through experts and professionals working in this field for a long time. Besides, mass awareness campaigns are being carried to spread the message of the JJ and POCSO Act,” Gaikwad informed pune-news.com.

Gaikwad further added that unregulated and non restricted internet usage too was one of the contributing factors behind the rise in crime by the CCL. The Pune Police Crime Branch Survey on Children in Conflict with Law CCL (formerly known as juvenile delinquents) states that fifty percent of them were residing in the eight out thirty nine police stations of city commissionerate.

The CCL have been found to be involved in crimes ranging from murder, extortion, rapes, thefts, rioting and other sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). In 2016, 993 serious offences were committed by the CCL while the figure increased to 1548 crimes by them in 2017.