Juvenile crimes shoot up in state

REPORT ALSO SHOWS AN INCREASE IN NUMBER OF CRIMES AGAINST KIDS IN STATE AND CASES OF MISSING KIDS LAST YEAR; 55 CASES OF MURDER WERE LODGED AGAINST JUVENILES

CHANDIGARH: Haryana has not only registered a sharp increase in crimes committed by juveniles (aged below 18) between 2014 and 2016, but the number of cases are much more when compared to the neighbouring states of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.

The statistics released by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reveal that 1,186 cases of heinous crimes, including murder and rapes, involving juveniles were reported in the state in 2016, against 1,098 and 1,041 cases in 2015 and 2014, respectively.

The number of crimes committed by juveniles in Punjab was 117, 111 and 277; and 204, 195 and 272 in Himachal Pradesh for the same period. In Haryana, juveniles were allegedly involved in as many as 62 cases of rape whereas the number in HP and Punjab was 13 each.

Haryana stood on the ninth rank in the country when it came to juvenile crimes.

Last year, 55 cases of murder were registered against juveniles in Haryana, while the figure was three and eight in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab.

Also, 89 cases of grievous hurt were registered against juveniles while neighbouring Punjab and HP recorded only two and a single case.

Last year, 48 cases were reported wherein juveniles

were accused of assaulting women with an intention to outrage their modesty, while the number was nine in HP and four in Punjab.

The NCRB report says there were 39 cases of kidnapping/ abductions by juvenile accused in Haryana last year while the figure for the same in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab was three and five.

CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN ALSO GO UP

The incidence of crimes against children in Haryana was also higher than the neighbouring states.

As many as 3,099 cases were reported in the state last year, against 3,262 and 2,540 cases in 2015 and 2014. In Punjab, the figure was 1,843 in 2016, 1,836 in 2015 and 1,762 in 2014. In HP, it was 467, 477 and 467 for the same period, respectively.

As many as 58 children were murdered in Haryana, 55 in Punjab while three kids were killed in HP last year.

Also, there were over 1,356

MISSING CHILDREN

Haryana registered almost three times more cases than Punjab when it comes to incidents of missing children. As many as 3,575 children, including 1,787 girls, are still untraceable with 1,768 gone missing in 2016 alone, the figure in Punjab was 1,290, including 699 girls.

In Himachal Pradesh, a total of 280 children, including 158 girls, reportedly went missing till 2016 while 170 children, including 93 girls, went missing in 2016 alone.