Mandya: Four juveniles who were allegedly involved in four heinous crime cases including rape and murder of a minor girl and the murder of a rowdy-sheeter in Mandya have been considered as adults. They will not be treated as juveniles and they will face the law. 

In a press release, Mandya Superintendent of Police (SP) Parashuram has stated that Santosh Nayaka and a few fellow Lambani community people had come from Ballari for harvesting sugarcane crop at Koppa and surrounding villages. They used to come during harvesting time since many years, finish the work and return. They had come to Mandya five months back and had pitched tents near Hurugalawadi village.

The SP has further stated that Santhosh Nayaka and his wife had gone to harvest sugarcane in the fields of one Cheluvaraju on Dec. 2 leaving behind their children including an 11-year-old daughter. She was spotted by a 17-year-old juvenile who lured her to a sugarcane field telling her that he would catch some fish to her. But as they reached the field, he raped her and to conceal his crime, the juvenile killed the girl by strangulating. He fled the spot and based on eye-witness accounts, a case was booked against him. 

This juvenile apart, three more juveniles were involved in separate crimes. While one juvenile had allegedly murdered a minor boy identified as Raghu of K. Shettahalli village in Maddur taluk coming under K.M. Doddi village, another juvenile was involved in the murder of a rowdy-sheeter Sumanth in Mandya East Police limits. 

One more juvenile was involved in a dacoity case where a lorry going towards Tamil Nadu on Srirangapatna-Bannur Road was waylaid in Arakere Police limits. The juvenile had also assaulted the occupants of the vehicle before fleeing with valuables.

As per column 15 and 19 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, children between 16 and 18 years involved in serious offences (crimes) such children’s social background, mental status, physical ability and the crimes committed could be checked, consider them as adults and can be interrogated, the SP’s release stated.

In this backdrop, following the Juvenile Justice Board has ordered to treat the above four juveniles as adults and transfer the cases to District Sessions Court/Juvenile Court for further hearing, the SP stated in the release.