Machete-wielding juveniles, new entry in cops’ diary

On Monday night, the Marina police picked up four juveniles, all Class 12 students, when they were clashing with deadly weapons against a rival gang of juveniles in Nadukuppam. However, police had to release them with a stern warning as the students were to write their Class 12 Board examinations on Tuesday. 

The role of juveniles in violent crimes is on the rise of late and police sources confirm that such gangs were now engaged by their ‘big brothers’ for assault and murder. “Gang wars have become common among such juvenile gangs in different parts of the city as part of the fight to gain supremacy in their respective regions. 

A majority of them are school dropouts and children of single parents. But what is more shocking is that some of them are students,” a senior police official told DTNext. 

As per the NCRB data for 2015, 63 juveniles were arrested on charges of murder in Tamil Nadu, 87 for attempt to murder, 5 on charges of rape, 19 in connection with kidnap and abduction cases, 11 on charges of dacoity. 

And 59 on charges of robbery, 217 on charges of burglary, 47 on charges of house breaking, 313 on charges of theft, 119 on charges of auto theft and 57 on charges of rioting. What was more worrying was that a majority from this bunch were from Chennai. 

“Most of these children are addicted to ganja, alcohol or both. They grow up in areas where even their elders are engaged in criminal activities and get misguided by them,” the police official added. Officials say there is no social intervention programmes to bring these children out of criminal ways and police find it difficult to handle them due to lack of facilities to rehabilitate these juveniles.