IGP raises concern over minors’ involvement in crimes

Panaji: Raising concern over involvement of minors in crime cases, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Jaspal Singh has stressed on the need for parental supervision. He said that police will reach out to parents including teachers so that juveniles are counseled and kept away from crimes.

The move comes in the wake of St Cruz firing incident in which so far police have arrested 19 persons while 3 minors have been apprehended. One person, identified as Sonu Yadav, was killed in the incident.

Referring to the motive behind the incident, Singh said that probably there was some issue related to a girl and “I would say it was not a gang war. Probably initial dispute was on that issue.” 

He said that one day before the incident there was a birthday party and they probably at the spur of the moment had decided to threaten (Imran Bepari).

Singh was responding to media queries on the sidelines of the review meeting held with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant at the police headquarters on Thursday.

Singh said that involvement of youths in crimes is a worrying aspect but sometimes they are attracted due to macho image of senior criminals without understanding the consequences of their actions.

“So that is why we will talk to parents. Parental supervision is required,”

he stated.

“We will keep juveniles under surveillance,” said Singh, adding that, the police will talk to the parents and if such minors are studying in schools or colleges, then police will also talk to their teachers so that they are kept away from crimes. Singh claimed that the police have comprehensively solved the St Cruz firing incident wherein 19 people have already been arrested and 3 minors apprehended.

“In continuation to that incident we have directed all the police inspectors to put people under surveillance particularly those who are budding criminals such as juveniles and are attracted by crime”, informed Singh.

Singh informed that during the review meeting, Chief Minister Sawant spoke about this incident and directed police to keep such people under surveillance particularly those who are juveniles.