Introducing the Juvenile Justice Bill in the Rajya Sabha, Maneka Gandhi, Minister of Women and Child Development, insisted that the bill was comprehensive in nature. “This is a very nuanced bill... some people are oversimplifying this bill. If it is perceived that it was a thought-out, adult and planned crime, it would not be considered a childlike crime”, she said.
Explaining the bill, Gandhi said the juveniles will still have the power to appeal, even if a court decides that they will go to an adult jail. “If juvenile is sent to jail, they will be sent to a borstal until they are 21 years old, after which there will be a review,” she added.
“Newspapers will tell you that juvenile crimes are the fastest rising segment of crime,” Gandhi further said.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)