Nagpur: The Nagpur city has emerged as Maharashtra’s leading metropolitan city in terms of juvenile detentions, according to the latest 2024 report released by the National Crime Records Bureau, triggering fresh concerns over the growing involvement of minors in violent crimes and organised criminal activities.

The NCRB data revealed that Maharashtra recorded 3,779 juvenile crime cases during 2024. Among the state’s major urban centres, Nagpur reported the highest number of juveniles detained in connection with criminal offences at 342, including six girls. The figures placed Nagpur ahead of larger cities like Mumbai, which recorded 261 juvenile detentions, including one girl, while Pune reported 176 minors apprehended, also including one girl.

The report has highlighted a widening gap between Nagpur and other metropolitan cities in Maharashtra when it comes to juvenile involvement in crime, drawing attention to changing social trends and the increasing vulnerability of youth to criminal influences.

At the national level, Delhi recorded the highest number of juvenile detentions with 2,999 minors apprehended, including seven girls. Across India’s metropolitan cities, Nagpur ranked among the top cities for juvenile detentions, trailing behind only a handful of major urban centres such as Chennai with 663 cases, Bengaluru with 444, and both Jaipur and Hyderabad with 406 each.

According to NCRB statistics, a total of 6,342 juveniles were detained across 23 metropolitan cities in India during 2024. Of these, 6,313 were boys while only 29 were girls, indicating that male minors accounted for the overwhelming majority of offences.

The report further pointed out that most juveniles were booked for “body offences”, a category that includes serious crimes such as murder, assault, causing hurt, and other offences against individuals. Investigators believe the trend reflects an alarming rise in violent behaviour among minors.

Police officials and investigators have attributed the growing involvement of juveniles in crime to several emerging factors, including the pressure to maintain an extravagant lifestyle influenced by social media culture, rising substance abuse among youth, and peer influence. Authorities have also found instances where hardened criminals deliberately used minors to execute offences in order to evade stringent legal consequences.

In response to the rising trend, the Zone 4 police in Nagpur, under the supervision of DCP Rashmitha Rao, have intensified action against adult offenders exploiting minors for criminal activities. Investigations conducted by the police revealed that 18 adult accused had allegedly used 14 children in conflict with law while carrying out offences ranging from vehicle theft to rioting.

Taking serious note of the pattern, police invoked Section 95 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita in all 10 identified cases. The provision prescribes a minimum punishment of three years for adults found involving minors in criminal activities and does not permit courts to award a lesser sentence.

Officials believe the strict implementation of the new criminal law provisions could play a crucial role in breaking organised networks that exploit juveniles and preventing minors from being pushed deeper into criminal ecosystems.