People in Uttarakhand cutting across classes and professions have welcomed Wednesday's amendment to Juvenile Justice Act that has made room for bringing 16-year-old juveniles accused of heinous crimes such as rape under India's criminal justice system i.e. the regular courts of law.
From legislators, teachers, lawyers and public servants to poorly read street vendors and impassioned teenagers, individuals came out strongly in support of the new Bill that has brought about significant changes to India's juvenile justice system.
With a finger put on the pulse of the State's residents, The Pioneer undertook a quick ground survey, gauging public reaction to Wednesday's amendment. And the message was the same — the new Bill should be implemented strictly to deter juvenile offenders and bring justice to the victims. Vice-chairperson and officiating chairperson of Uttarakhand State Women Commission, Amita lohani lauded the move while speaking to The Pioneer.
"This is a good decision and this will help fight crime against women. In my opinion, a person committing atrocious crimes like rape must not be given the benefit of age. For such an individual is a criminal bereft of innocence. It is injustice to the victims and their loved ones to go easy on the offenders because of their ages. This amendment will definitely act as a deterrent for juvenile offenders," she said.
Former Speaker of Uttarakhand legislative Assembly, Harbans Kapoor considered the amendment a step forward. Speaking to The Pioneer, Kapoor observed that Wednesday's decision had done away with a glaring glitch in the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000.
"The Government deserves applause for having taken the right decision. India today is socially and culturally not what it was before globalization. With the onslaught of technology and Internet, children in our country are getting so much exposure that they are maturing at an early age."
As pointed put by advocate Atul Singh Pundir, "National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) figures show that there has been a sharp increase in rapes committed by juveniles.
For instance, while in 2010 the number of rapes committed by juveniles was at 858, it rose to 1149 in 2011 and 1316 in 2012. last year, 1,388 juveniles were arrested for rape. All juveniles accused of heinous crimes should be tried in a regular court to face trial like any other adult."
While people welcomed the amendments in one voice there emerged some points of disagreement over whether the juveniles convicted of heinous crimes should be shown leniency during the trial or be treated at par with the adults in court Former M.l.A from Haridwar, Qazi Nizamuddin batted for lighter punishment for such juveniles, saying that given their age, they must be given a second chance. However many, including lohani, stressed on letting it be a trial among equals.