The brutal killing of a minor student by three juvenile classmates inside a hostel at the KISS school in Bhubaneswar last week has sent shockwaves across Odisha, forcing a grim examination of two deeply concerning patterns: a sharp rise in offences against children and an alarming surge in crimes committed by minors themselves.
NCRB Data Reveals a Disturbing Double Surge
Official statistics from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) paint a stark picture of the deteriorating situation in the state. The data shows that crimes committed by juveniles in Odisha jumped by a staggering 29.5% in 2023 compared to the previous year. Simultaneously, offences targeting children registered a 4% increase during the same period.
The murder at the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) hostel on December 11 is not an isolated incident. It marks the second chilling homicide involving minors in just three months. Earlier, on September 2, a 12-year-old madrasa student in Nayagarh district was murdered by five of his classmates.
Breaking Down the Crime Patterns
A closer look at the NCRB figures for 2023 reveals specific trends. In the case of crimes against children, which totalled 8,577 reported cases, kidnapping or abduction accounted for a massive 5,979 instances. Police sources indicate that a majority of these abduction cases stem from incidents of minor elopement.
The profile of juvenile offences is equally revealing. Out of the 1,507 crimes committed by minors last year, nearly 750 were property-related offences like theft and burglary. The statistics on detention are particularly startling: of the 1,507 juvenile offenders detained in 2023, a overwhelming 1,400 belonged to the 5 to 10 years age bracket. A senior police officer linked this trend to socio-economic factors, noting that most young offenders come from impoverished backgrounds, often slum dwellers and school dropouts.
Root Causes and Corrective Measures
Child rights activists and experts point to systemic failure and neglect as the core drivers behind this crisis. Prominent activist Anuradha Mohanty emphasised, "No child is a criminal by birth. Many are driven to crime by adverse circumstances—poverty, lack of parental guidance, and family discord. Children deprived of basic needs often resort to theft and other crimes." She stressed the urgent need for behavioural education, care, and attentive intervention from both parents and educational institutions.
In response, the Odisha police have initiated outreach programmes aimed at prevention. Officers are being sent to schools and colleges to conduct sessions focused on instilling discipline, civic sense, empathy, and resistance to social evils. "We often organise interface activities with students and make them aware of the legal consequences of crimes," a police official stated. The initiative also engages students as volunteers to assist with traffic regulation, an effort designed to steer vulnerable youth away from crime and towards constructive community participation.
The tragic death at the KISS hostel acts as a grim reminder that behind the cold statistics are real lives lost and childhoods derailed, calling for a concerted and compassionate strategy to address the roots of juvenile delinquency in the state.
