Juvenile crime in the city went up by 13% in 2 years 16% Spurt In No. Of Serious Offences: CID

Mumbai: In a city obsessed with how high its towers, and the sensex, have climbed, a sinister monolith is spearing up from its dark underbelly: the number of juveniles arrested for violent crimes in 2011 jumped a scary 16% in just one year. In two years between 2009 and 2011, the figure rose 13%, says the 14th annual crime report compiled by the state CID and released last week.

    The shocking incident in Dombivli on Monday, when four minors and an 18-yearold stabbed a youth to death, underscores the fact that far too many of Mumbai's young are not only restless, but merciless too. In 2011, 804 teens were arrested for serious offences like murder, attempt to murder, robbery, rape, molestation and rioting against 693 in 2010 and 711 in 2009, the report points out. 
    Under India's juvenile justice laws, widely perceived as being liberal, many of the delinquent youngsters are likely to be released back into society soon. A possible lack of repentance could spell further trouble for the crime-plagued city. 
    Particularly disturbing for the law-enforcing agencies and Mumbaikars is the growing number of teen arrests in assault crimes and group violence using weapons. Youth relying on crime to make a fast buck: Cops 
Mumbai: In 2011, 327 teenagers were held for murder, attempt to murder, causing grievous hurt and rioting in the city. These crimes comprise about 40% of all juvenile arrests in the year and have risen by almost half from the figure for 2009 (218). 
    "It's truly a grim situation as the arrests in acts of extreme violence shot up by 50% between 2009 and 2011," said a police officer. 
    Alarmingly, youths in the city have shown a prominent tilt towards property offences as 51% of all juvenile arrests in 2011 were for burglary, robbery, theft and kidnapping, suggesting a strong impulse to make fast money and relying on crime to achieve that goal. In 2010, the number of arrests for such crimes stood at 379 but zoomed to 418 the next year. 
    "In most cases, it seems the money was needed to 
splurge on alcohol or bikes or to impress girls. Such crimes were not restricted to those living in slums or born into families with modest means. The trend seemed all-pervading as youths from the middle class and the upper middle class too had taken to crime, either for the thrill of it or to be able to afford bigger, flashier lifestyles," said a senior officer from Thane. 
    A high delinquency was reported in offences registered under Sections 325 and 326 of the IPC, where the victim is grievously hurt to the extent that his life could be endangered. "As many as 240 teenagers were arrested for causing grievous hurt in 2011 against 166 in 2009. It's a dangerous reflection of thetemperament of Mumbai teens who resort to mindless bloodshed on provocation, which in most cases, is absolutely trivial," the officer explained. 
    Arrests in sexual crimes like rape, molestation and sexual harassment touched 59 in 2011, a rise of 40% over 2009's figure of 42. Of the 804 arrests last year, a vast majority belonged to the 16-18 age group while around 200 were between 7 and 16. 
    Neighbouring Thane and Navi Mumbai also recorded 10% and 4% increase in juvenile arrests in 2011 as compared to 2009. Thane police arrested 513 youths in 2011 compared to 464 held in 2009, while the number of arrests in Navi Mumbai rose marginally to 108 in 2011 against 104 two years ago.