Recent investigations have indicated at wayward juveniles being trained and inducted into criminal gangs in the state.

Santosh Jha, a Sitamarhi-based gang leader, is said to have engaged juveniles in committing serious crimes such as murder, loot and extortion. Majority of the juveniles hired by the gang are absconding from state-run remand homes.

Santosh’s accomplices, Chiranjivi Sagar and Vikas Jha, arrested from Bihta More along India-Nepal border in Sitamarhi district, around 150km north of Patna, on August 19 revealed the details during interrogation.

Sitamarhi superintendent of police (SP) P.K. Sinha said adolescents Mohammad Shamim, Suraj Rai, alias Saroj Rai, alias Suraj Thakur, and Ramji Rai, who escaped from a Muzaffarpur-based remand home earlier, are working for the gang led by Santosh Jha.

Saroj, (16), a resident of Runnisaidpur police station area of the district, was nabbed by Sitamarhi police around three months ago in connection with a murder case.

The SP said Saroj’s name had figured in a murder case lodged with Belsand police station. He was arrested and produced before a local court, which sent him to Muzaffarpur remand home. “He, however, escaped from the home recently and started committing crimes,” said Sinha.

Similarly Ramji, a resident of Dumra police station area of the district, is absconding from the remand home for around two years. Sources said at least six cases of murder were pending against Ramji in Muzaffarpur and Sitamarhi.

“Since no complaints are lodged against juveniles following their escape from remand homes, there has been a substantial rise in such incidents in the past few years,” said Tulsi Hazara, the public grievance officer of the social welfare department.

early start

Trend

Juveniles who escape from remand homes are being hired by criminal gangs for operations

Causes

Ill-treatment, sub-standard quality of food, lack of proper medical facilities and harassment by home staff