BJP MP Manoj Tiwari Proposes Reducing Juvenile Age to 14 for Heinous Crime Prosecution

Delhi BJP MP Manoj Tiwari has announced his intention to introduce a Private Member's bill in the Lok Sabha proposing to reduce the juvenile age from 17 to 14 years under the Juvenile Justice Act 2015 for prosecution in heinous crime cases.

Tiwari expressed concern about the increasing involvement of teenagers aged 15-17 in serious offenses. He stated, "I continuously see cases, including Nirbhaya's case and others both in India and abroad, where 15 to 17-year-olds are committing heinous crimes. I'm proposing to lower the juvenile age to 14 years based on examples I know where a child responsible for three murders went to a correction center, was released, and committed murder again."

The BJP MP emphasized that the current system allows perpetrators of serious crimes to escape appropriate consequences due to their age. "We don't want criminals to avoid justice for heinous crimes simply because they're fifteen, sixteen, or seventeen. This issue requires careful consideration, which is why I'm introducing it through a Private Member's Bill," Tiwari explained.

Recent incidents highlight the concern: In November, a 17-year-old Gurugram student allegedly shot a classmate using his father's licensed pistol. Both the accused and his friend, also a juvenile involved in the attack, were detained shortly after the incident.

In another case from October, Delhi Police arrested three juveniles in connection with an attempted murder in Patel Nagar. The incident involved a local gang member attacking a rival with a knife, resulting in serious injuries.

According to police reports, the Patel Nagar attack occurred on October 10 at Sharda Electrical in Baljeet Nagar. When officers reached the scene, they discovered a knife attack had taken place during a confrontation between groups of young men. The injured victim was transported to a hospital and was unable to provide a statement due to the severity of his injuries.