A 17-year-old boy, apprehended for murder of an elderly woman two months after he was released from a correction home, may be tried as an adult under a new law passed by Parliament in December 2015. The Delhi Police has urged the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) to treat the boy as an adult as he allegedly murdered the woman just five months after kidnapping and killing a 13-year-old boy for which he was sent to the correction home.
If the JJB agrees, he would be the first juvenile to be tried under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. The new law allows people between 16 and 18 years of age to be tried as adults if they are found to be involved in heinous crimes like murder and rape.
“We have submitted a written application to the Juvenile Justice Board, urging them to treat the juvenile, who is around 17 years and 11 months old, like an adult. This teenager could be the first to be tried under the amended Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act,” a senior police official said.
The teenager was released from the juvenile home in December last year for his “good behaviour” after his parents applied for bail saying he had to appear for Class X exams. The teen was apprehended again from his residence in Faridabad on Thursday on charge of killing the elderly woman, identified as Mithilesh Jain, a widow at South Delhi’s BK Dutt Colony under the jurisdiction of lodhi Road police station.
The juvenile had allegedly strangulated to death a 65-year-old woman, and fled with cash, jewellery and mobile phones. Police traced the teen when he switched on one of the phones which he had allegedly stolen from Jain.
The woman was found dead on Monday by her son-in-law but the police had then claimed that it was a case of natural death. Things took a turn when Jain’s relatives informed police that some jewellery, cash and expensive items, including two mobile phones, were missing from her residence.
On being questioned, the teen told the police that he had targeted the woman as he needed money to participate in a popular reality dance show.
It may be noted that in September 2015, the juvenile, along with his girlfriend, had allegedly abducted and murdered a 13-year-old boy for money which he needed for participating in a popular reality dance show, police said.
The legislation lowering the age of the juvenile involved in heinous crimes from 18 to 16 years was cleared by the Parliament on December 22 last year after a prolonged debate. The demand for the new law had grown following release of the juvenile convict in the December 16, 2012 gangrape case.