Maneka renews plea to amend Juvenile Justice Act

‘Those accused of heinous crimes should be treated as adults’

"It is shameful the Rajya Sabha did not pass the Bill to amend the Juvenile Justice Act for political reasons," says Union minister for women and child development Maneka Gandhi

Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi feels the intelligence reports of a “Kashmiri militant” radicalising the juvenile accused in the Delhi gang rape in a correctional home vindicates her stand that law should treat as adults those aged 16-18 accused of heinous crimes.

She said this in an interaction with The Hindu on the third anniversary of the gang rape that shook the nation and sparked protests in the capital. Ms. Maneka Gandhi said it was “shameful” the Rajya Sabha did not pass the Bill to amend the Juvenile Justice Act for “political reasons”.

> Read: Towards a comprehensive Juvenile Justice law

“If he was radicalised during his stay in a children’s home, it is even more frightening that Kashmiri terrorists were in a children’s home. Has nobody looked at it? All the more reason for this Act to be passed. Can a Kashmiri terrorist who has blown up people and killed people be put in a children’s home where he can radicalise other children,” she said. “So, pass the Bill so that you don’t get people like Kashmiri terrorists and rapists in with normal children.”

Criticises delay in passage of Bill on juveniles

"It is not a political Bill. Nor will it be remembered as my private Bill. It is a collaborative effort by members of all parties. The subtext of the Bill started during the Congress rule. It has passed through every kind of committee…And it is a Bill that is matured and nuanced. It’s not knee-jerk in the slightest. Now, you won’t let it pass through the Rajya Sabha for political reasons. Every day, it’s a different reason,” said the Union Minister.

‘Victims are children’

“This has been lying in the Rajya Sabha for over a year now. In the meantime, crime in this segment of 16-18 has become the largest amount of crime. And the victims of this group are only children. How can we protect those seven-year-olds and three-year-olds and four-year-olds…,” she asked.

Ms. Maneka Gandhi also wanted a law to allow police tracking of the movements of all perpetrators of sexual crimes — be they juveniles or adults - once they were freed.