Delhi LG had recommended treating minors involved in heinous crimes as adults

New Delhi: Even as there have been demands for a change in the Juvenile Justice Act following the brutal gangrape and murder of a paramedical student in Delhi because on of the accused is a minor and may walk free after just a few months in a remand home, CNN-IBN has learnt that Delhi Lieutenant Governor Tejinder Khanna had written two letters to Union Home Ministry recommending changes in the Act.

The letters were sent to the Home Minister in March 2011 and February 2012 after a spate of robberies committed by juveniles in Delhi came to light. CNN-IBN has also learnt that the Lieutenant Governor had also recommended reduction of age bar on minor in cases of heinous crimes

The two letters recommend treatment of juveniles as adults depending upon the severity of the crime. While the Home Ministry forwarded the letters to the Law Commission, yet not much was done to implement his suggestions. Sources say that the Law Commission is not aware about Tejinder Khanna's recommendations.

The letters were sent to the Home Minister in March 2011 and February 2012 after a spate of robberies committed by juveniles.

In the letter Tejinder Khanna wrote that if a juvenile us is old enough for committing crimes like rape then the juvenile is old for being tried as an adult. He pointed out that almost 65 per cent of the crimes in Delhi are committed by juveniles and organised criminal gangs have been using juveniles because they know that minors are treated leniently by the law.

Several suggestions have been made to make suitable changes in the Juvenile Justice Act under which any one below the age of 18 years cannot be chargesheeted and brought to trial before a court, however heinous the crime. The suggestions include lower the age bar and trying juvenile's involved in heinous crimes like sexual assault, rape and murder as adults before a court.

(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest)