Sir — This refers to the editorial, “Amend the juvenile law” (April 10). The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000, is often used as a shield by defence lawyers to save the accused. The cut-off age to be considered for juveniles to be treated as adults is itself flawed, because the age of adolescence is between 12 and 18 years, when the body steadily matures.
What if a person, one day short of his 18th birthday, commits a heinous crimeIJ In India, where documents are prone to be fabricated, and medical evidence is subjected to different standards and may easily be manipulated, the misuse of the age factor can destroy a victim’s case. Therefore, the gravity of the crime should be given weightage over the accused’s age.
The Government should not back off on Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi’s excellent proposal to consider the severity of the crime when committed by youngsters in the age group of 16 to 18 years to decide on the quantum of punishment. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has done well to have a group of senior Ministers look into all aspects of the proposed amendments to the juvenile justice law. The Ministers must decide soon.