Use of children in crimes calls for re-fixing age of juvenility: Delhi HC

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday said use of children by criminals to commit wide-ranging crimes had prompted the reconsideration of the juvenility age.

Justice Girish Kathpalia made the observations while dismissing an anticipatory bail plea of a man accused of using a child in illicit liquor trafficking.

The judge said far more serious than the illicit liquor trafficking was the child abuse in carrying out such crimes.

"Over a period of time, it is being observed that criminals use children to commit wide ranging crimes, involving not just liquor and drugs peddling but also arms/ammunition and even acts of extreme violence, which is leading the society to consider re-fixing the age of juvenility. In my view, far more serious than the illicit liquor trafficking is the child abuse in carrying out such crimes," the court noted.

In the case at hand, one Narender was booked on the directions of Juvenile Justice Board, when the juvenile in conflict with law was produced before it.

The board directed the FIR against the man primarily for the reason that the juvenile in conflict with law could not be the accused and the victim in the same FIR, the prosecution said.

The high court denied the relief to the accused, saying it had to be unearthed whether there was a wide network engaged in similar activities using children.

"Apart from the gravity of the offence, it is also the requirement of police to carry out custodial interrogation of the accused, which is significant. It is necessary to unearth if there was/is any other incident of similar nature involving the accused/applicant and any child. It also needs to be unearthed if there is a wide network engaged in similar activities using children. Therefore, I do not find it a fit case to grant anticipatory bail to the accused/applicant," the court said.