Deity turns saviour for boy accused of stealing sweets
Judge reprimands police for filing case
judge in Bihar acquitted a boy who was accused of stealing and eating sweets from the house of a neighbour citing the “butter theft” tale of Hindu deity Krishna as mentioned in Hindu scriptures.
The unusual verdict was delivered by Juvenile Justice Board judge Mabvenvendra Mishra when a case pertaining to the theft of sweets by a minor came up for hearing in the Biharsharif court in Nalanda district on Thursday. Police had formally registered a case against the boy based on the complaint filed by a woman.
‘No double standards’
“When ... Krishna’s ‘butter theft’ could be a naughty act, then how can the theft of sweets by a boy be [considered] a criminal act, especially given that he didn’t have food to eat? There shouldn’t be double standards in the society,” the judge reportedly observed, adding the society must be tolerant towards children.
He also observed the “naughty acts” (described as ‘Bal Leela’ of Krishna
in Hindu scriptures) of Krishna would never have taken place if the society at that time had behaved like the present. In Hindu scriptures, little Krishna has been fondly described as ‘makhan chor’ (butter thief) for his acts of stealing freshly-churned butter kept in clay pots from the houses of neighbours with the help of friends and even breaking the pot.
The judge also reprimanded the police for registering a case against the boy saying that instead of registering the case, the matter should have been resolved just by entering the complaint in the police diary. He also questioned the act of the woman complainant, asking whether she would have sent her own child to jail if he had stolen money from her purse, and told her to be more tolerant.