Rise in juvenile crime in focus after minors murder engineering student

Nagpur: The cold-blooded murder of a young engineering student allegedly by two minors in one of the city's elite localities, Dharampeth, has triggered outrage across Nagpur. Even more worrying fact is that both these minors come from well-educated families. The fathers of the two minors are a teacher and a civil engineer, respectively.The murder has again brought under the lens the rise in the number of crimes committed by juveniles in the city. Data released recently by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reveals that juvenile crimes in Nagpur rose by a staggering 11.4% in 2024. While 254 offences involving minors were registered in 2023, the figure climbed sharply to 283 in 2024, exposing a worrying trend.The city has also emerged among the top in the country for minors accused of rape cases. According to NCRB data, Nagpur recorded the third-highest number of juveniles accused in rape cases, intensifying concerns over rising violent tendencies among minors and sparking calls for urgent intervention.In 2022, the city recorded 210 registered cases involving juveniles in conflict with the law. The number jumped to 254 in 2023, reflecting a sharp 20.9% rise. The upward trend continued in 2024, with cases climbing further to 283, an additional 11.41% increase over the previous year.These numbers point at a deeper social crisis as minors are increasingly drifting towards violent and criminal behaviour. The educational background of the juveniles involved also exposes troubling trends. According to NCRB data, out of 351 juvenile offenders identified in Nagpur during 2024, none pursued studies beyond Class 12. Lack of education, broken family structures, substance abuse, social media influence, lack of supervision, and growing exposure to violence are among the major reasons behind the spike in juvenile crimes, experts say.Psychiatrist Kanak Gillurkar, while speaking to TOI, said, "Most kids who turn to criminal activities come from broken homes. Alcohol or drug abuse in the father, or violence against the mother, can play a major role". She further explained that more than financial or social status, emotional neglect or distance from parents can cause children to turn to violence too, saying, "Children who grow distant from parents tend to idolise other people and behaviours."-- Inputs by Rose Bachwani