The Delhi Police are contemplating booking the juvenile convicted in December 16 gangrape case under the National Security Act, CNN-IBN reported on Wednesday. The accused is expected to complete his jail term of three years on December 15. He was sentenced under the Juvenile Justice Act as he was a minor when he had committed the crime. The police are in consultation with the home ministry and senior lawyers, according to India Today. The NSA allows for preventive detention of up to one year in certain exceptional cases.
Ever since he was convicted as a juvenile, there have been concerns that the term was not long enough to match his crime – he was reportedly one of the most brutal attackers in the 2012 case. The National Human Rights Commission on Tuesday had taken cognisance of a complaint by the victim’s parents, who have been arguing that he got off on a lighter sentence, and asked the Centre and Delhi government to respond within two days. The NHRC said the parents had raised concerns that he might be a risk to the public and that juvenile offenders often return to crime.
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