This article has been written by Oishika Banerji of Amity Law School, Kolkata. This article provides a detailed analysis of 10 crimes that shook the entire nation in 2020. 

This article has been published by Sneha Mahawar.

Introduction 

Crime is the result of a number of interconnected variables. The social processes and structures are the root causes of criminal conduct. People commit crimes as a result of a socialization process that does not generate a strong sense of good and wrong, and as a result of developing possibilities, expanding desires, and a strong urge to turn to crime to satisfy these goals. The interaction of many social, economic, demographic, geographical, and institutional elements may be traced back to the origins of crime. As per the National Criminal Records Bureau, a total of 66,01,285 cognizable crimes comprising 42,54,356 Indian Penal Code (IPC) crimes and 23,46,929 Special & Local Laws (SLL) crimes were registered in 2020. It shows an increase of 14,45,127 (28.0%) in registration of cases over 2019 (51,56,158 cases). The crime rate registered per lakh population has increased from 385.5 in 2019 to 487.8 in 2020. 

The COVID-19-related disruption also resulted in a 28 percent rise in case of registration in 2020 compared to 2019, owing to a 21-fold increase in cases involving disobedience to a properly issued public servant order and over four times in instances involving breaches of other states local legislation. India had one of the strictest curfews in the world, with law enforcement imposing strictures on physical separation to the nth degree. Some sorts of crimes, such as murders, are exempt from the registration requirement, with just a 1% rise in 2019 compared to the previous year. Worryingly, while the number of reported economic offences has decreased by 11.8 percent since 2019, cybercrime has increased by 11.8 percent. The rise in cybercrime is concerning, as it necessitates more stringent law enforcement, as witnessed even in highly developed civilizations. Sedition has increasingly been used as a weapon to stifle dissent and this trend needs to be reversed urgently. This article discusses 10 horrific crimes that took place in 2020. 

10 crimes that shook the entire nation in 2020

A set of ten spine-chilling crimes that took place in the year 2020 have been detailed hereunder. 

Hathras rape case

With the caste divide remaining a deep-rooted issue in Indian society, there are several crimes that are taking place in India in the name of caste. On 14th September 2020, a 19-year-old girl hailing from Hathras, Uttar Pradesh was brutally gang-raped and assaulted by four men belonging from an upper-caste, leaving her with a broken spine, bleeding, and vomiting blood. On September 29, the victim died as a result of her injuries. A protest erupted inside Safdarjung Hospital following her death. This dharna included members of the Congress party as well as the Bhim Army, led by Chandrashekhar Azad, who demanded harsh punishment for the culprits. The victim’s relatives also claimed that the police were attempting to dispose of the victim’s remains in secrecy. The corpse of the victim, as well as his father and sibling, were returned to Boolgarhi village after a day-long protest. The family had received Rs 2.5 Million from the UP state government, under the Victim Compensation Scheme which allows financial compensation to be given to families of victims of crimes including murder and rape.

Rape as a crime under the eyes of the law 

Every year, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) publishes an annual report detailing the statistics on crimes against women in India. Rape is one of the most prevalent crimes perpetrated against women in India, according to the survey. The IPC defines rape as a crime under Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. Because deterrence is insufficient for such a horrible act in India, the same has failed to discourage the crime. Rape incidents are increasing every day in India, with the bulk of them being undetected. It is critical to educate our society on their legal rights and responsibilities, as well as to raise awareness.

Judicial interference and the outcome in the Hathras rape case

The horrifying case reached the Supreme Court of India by means of Criminal Writ Petition that was filed by the petitioner that raised concerns about the way a 19-year-old girl from Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, was allegedly raped and severely attacked that resulted in her death, followed by the inhuman manner in which she was cremated. The victim’s parents, two brothers, one sister-in-law, and grandmother, who live in village Chandpa, district Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, were provided with a three-tiered security system to remain safeguarded from upper caste people in the village. The security included;

1. Armed Constabulary Component,
2. Civil Police Component, and 
3. The installation of CCTV cameras/lights.

The Supreme Court granted the Allahabad High Court the authority to supervise all parts of the case, including the CBI investigations. While hearing petitions for a court-supervised inquiry into the matter, the Supreme Court of India also stated that a plea to move the trial out of Uttar Pradesh “has been left open” till the investigation is concluded.

Vikas Dubey encounter

Vikas Dubey was slain in an ‘encounter’ on July 10, 2020. He and members of his gang had ambushed a police squad on its way to arrest Dubey a week previously. The ambush resulted in the deaths of eight police officers. In the days that followed, the Uttar Pradesh police executed five of Dubey’s friends in three separate encounters. Dubey was apprehended in Ujjain and surrendered to the Uttar Pradesh police. On July 10, he was slain in a shootout. According to the police, the car in which Dubey was travelling crashed, and the criminal then grabbed a revolver from a police officer and attempted to leave. He also shot at the police squad, which retaliated in self-defence. 

What is an encounter and why is it a crime

‘Encounter’ is a euphemism for extrajudicial executions involving the military forces, notably in India. It entails combining the functions of an investigator, adjudicator, and executor into a single person, namely the relevant police officer. In the 1990s and early 2000s, the Mumbai Police Department employed encounter murders to wage battle against the city’s underbelly. This practice of ‘rapid justice’ quickly spread to other major cities. The most typical justification for false encounters is that the legal system is sluggish and that obtaining convictions against persons who can silence witnesses is difficult. What has hindered individuals and governments from altering the legislation throughout these years to allow for faster justice, adequate evidentiary procedures, and witness protection? Why are we still carrying the corpses of the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 and the Evidence Act, 1872? The willful inability to change the court system cannot be used as an excuse to instead use “illegal shortcuts.” We must do justice to the sacrificed cops and dead civilians, but not at the expense of others. Under populist pressure, the rule of law cannot be buried. The State must follow the law, it cannot be permitted to create its own set of rules.

Role of the judiciary in the Vikas Dubey encounter case

The three-member judicial commission, led by former Supreme Court judge B.S. Chauhan and including former Allahabad High Court judge Sashi Kant Agrawal and former Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police, K.L. Gupta, was set up to investigate the killing of gangster Vikas Dubey in July 2020. It found enough evidence to show that the gangster was patronized by local police, revenue, and administrative officials. The report was presented to the government in April 2021, but it was not tabled before the Uttar Pradesh legislature until August 19th, 2021. The report laid down the following points: 

1. Anyone who filed a complaint against Vikas Dubey or his colleagues was treated with contempt by the police. Even if higher authorities ordered the complaint to be filed, the parameters were set by the local police.
2. Vikas Dubey and the gang were never subjected to a fair investigation in any case brought against them. Before submitting the charge sheet, sections pertaining to significant offences were removed. During the trial, the majority of the witnesses become hostile. Due to the lack of substantial opposition from state officials and government counsel, Vikas Dubey and his accomplices were able to get bail orders from the courts swiftly and easily. State officials never thought it was necessary to hire a special prosecutor to handle his case. The state never filed an application for bail cancellation or contacted the superior court to have any of the bail orders cancelled.
3. The intelligence agency in Kanpur was completely unsuccessful in gathering information on Dubey’s illicit activities and possession of sophisticated weapons. There was no sufficient precaution taken in preparation for the raid, and none of the officers wore bulletproof vests. Only 18 of them possessed weapons, the remainder were either unarmed or armed with sticks. 
4. After performing a normal inquiry and passing relevant orders against those found guilty, the panel recommended disciplinary procedures against “erring public workers” who conspired with Dubey for “loss of records, notably the record of instances connected to Vikas Dubey.”
5. The investigation also exonerates Dubey’s maternal uncle Prem Prakash, his assistant Atul Dubey, Amar Dubey, Pravin Kumar Dubey, and Prabhat Mishra, who was slain in the encounters. The injuries experienced by the police officers involved in these incidents “did not appear to be self-inflicted,” according to the investigation panel, while the injuries suffered by the accused “were on non-vital areas of their bodies.”

Palghar mob lynching

On April 16, 2020, two sadhus, Kalpavriksha Giri Maharaj (70 years), Sushil Giri Maharaj (35 years), and their driver Nilesh Telgade (30 years), were mercilessly lynched in the Gadchinchale hamlet in Palghar district’s Dahanu tehsil, around 120 kilometres from Mumbai’s centre. The two sadhus hailed from Nashik and belonged to the Shri Panch Dashnam Juna Akhara, India’s largest sadhu order, which is centred in Varanasi. A few days before the occurrence of the horrific incident, rumours had been circulated in the village that bandits had come to the village with the intent of stealing kidneys, particularly those of minors, and selling them in the black market. As a result, the villagers established a 24-hour vigil. A mob of approximately 500 villagers attacked the sadhus and their driver, believing them to be kidnappers. The case was turned up to the state’s criminal investigation division, which conducted the inquiry. The Palghar police and later the state-CID apprehended a total of 251 suspects. The accused include 13 juveniles. More than 70 of the accused are still in custody. Devendra Fadnavis, the Maharashtra Leader of Opposition, and Yogi Adityanath, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, both urged a high-level investigation into the event shortly after it occurred. In 2020, the Maha Vikas Aghadi administration said that the BJP was engaging in “communal politics” over the event amid lockdown due to an increase in COVID-19 cases.

Mob lynching : an insight

Mob lynching is an extrajudicial execution in which a group of people kills someone who has been suspected of committing a crime, yet it is a stain on our legal system. It shows folks who do not trust the law and believe they are above the law, empowering themselves to punish someone accused, rendering the entire judicial system ineffective and weak. The group that believes they are capable of punishing someone solely on the basis of their assumptions is intolerant, and such acts should be strictly prohibited as they go against the principles of rule of law. The occurrence of such instances is a violation of Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees the Right to Life and Liberty. Despite the fact that the Protection from Lynching Act of 2017 was enacted to prevent lynchings from taking place, the Palghar mob lynching incident occurred. It is past time for the government to take action to avoid future events of this nature along with the effective implementation of robust jurisprudence.

The aftermath of the horrific crime

The videos that went viral clearly showed how the sadhus, who were being lynched brutally by the mob, hoped that the police would protect them from the same, but when the police themselves gave the sadhus and the driver to the mob, the sadhu lost all hope because the police had given them false assurances of protection. The police, as is obvious from the video, abandoned the sadhus and the driver to the crowd and failed to take appropriate measures to safeguard the victims. The public raised several questions, including why did the police not use force to stop the mob, despite the fact that the mob was an unlawful assembly under Section 141 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, and the police were authorized to use the power under Section 129 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973. 

Ballabgarh daylight murder

On October 27, 2020, a 21-year-old lady was murdered in broad daylight outside her college in Ballabgarh, Haryana’s Faridabad district. During a botched kidnapping attempt that was caught on video, the incident occurred. When the event occurred, a woman named Nikita Tomar had just left her institution after taking an exam. The accused, who came in a car, attempted to drag the lady inside in the hopes of abducting her, but she fought, prompting one of the accused to shoot her. The heinous crime was caught on video. She was rushed to the hospital, but she died as a result of her injuries. Following the shooting of a 21-year-old student in broad daylight in Haryana’s Ballabgarh, a tremendous outcry erupted in Faridabad, demanding swift justice. A guy called Touseef, who is supposedly a friend of the victim, shot and killed Nikita Tomar outside the Aggarwal College in Faridabad’s Ballabgarh. According to the girl’s family members and relatives, Touseef had pressured Nikita Tomar to convert to Islam, and when she refused, he attempted to kidnap her. He killed her after failing to apprehend her. A few years ago, the victim was said to have filed a complaint against the accused as well. 

The murder had been captured on stunning CCTV footage. The culprit could be seen stepping out of the automobile and drawing his pistol. Nikita was observed attempting to leave the situation and was able to avoid the assailant for a small period of time before being apprehended by him and shot at point-blank range. The assailant’s assistant is seen dragging him back into the car. They then ran away from the scene. According to Haryana Chief Minister ML Khattar, the offender was detained following an investigation.

Delhi Riots case 

On February 22, over 1,000 protesters staged a sit-in protest near the Jafrabad metro station in Northeast Delhi, blocking a section of Seelampur-Jafrabad-Maujpur road as well as the metro station’s entrance and exit. The demonstration was said to be in support of the Bharat Bandh, which the Bhim Army had called for on February 23. Anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and pro-CAA activists clashed in Northeast Delhi on the eve of February 23. Over the next ten days, the violence turned communal, resulting in the deaths of over 53 persons. Over 200 people were hurt. Shops and homes were set on fire, as well as places of worship. The events that led to the 2020 Delhi riots are provided hereunder: 

1. Anti-CAA protests: In response to the passage of the Citizenship Bill, which paved the way for the grant of citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Parsis, Jains, Buddhists, and Christians who took refuge in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan in or before December 2014, protests began in Delhi and other parts of the country in December 2019.
2. 2019 Attack on Jamia Millia Islamia students: During a fight with Delhi police on December 15, many Jamia Millia Islamia University students were hurt. Hundreds of police officers are said to have stormed the university campus and apprehended over a hundred students. Batons and tear gas were allegedly used to disrupt anti-CAA demonstrators. Over 200 individuals were injured and admitted to the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and Holy Family Hospital in Delhi for treatment.
3. Delhi Assembly Election 2020: Several political figures, particularly from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), were observed employing inflammatory chants in the run-up to the Delhi elections on February 8, linking demonstrators to anti-national groups.

On February 27, Chief Minister of Delhi Mr. Arvind Kejriwal declared that the injured will receive free care in both government and private facilities. The administration had made plans with the support of non-governmental organizations to provide food and set up shelters in regions where a curfew had been enforced. He also promised affected persons a sum of Rs 10 lakh in compensation, Rs 1 lakh in ex-gratia, and Rs 5 lakh in the case of a minor’s death. People whose homes were entirely destroyed by fire resulting from the riots were promised urgent aid of Rs 25,000.

Is rioting an offence

Section 146 of the Indian penal Code, 1860 lays down the offence of rioting providing that use of force or violence by an unlawful assembly with a common objective would amount to the offence of rioting. What is subject to discussion with regards to riotings in India is the inability of the executive in handling the same with an aim to restore enforcement of rule of law and peace in the society. The Delhi riots sparked controversy about the government’s inability to handle the crisis, which lasted nearly five days. The Delhi Police has been chastised. They were ineffectual not just in averting the disturbances, but also in controlling the riots. Many video clips were distributed showing how the police failed to enter and manage the mayhem. The brutality was taking place right in front of their eyes. The major cause of the police’s ineptitude has been linked to reasons such as inexperience in dealing with riots and a lack of trust in the leadership. The cops were unable to analyze the situation. The police did not increase the number of policemen stationed in areas where such violence was common. The police response to the crisis was delayed, and it appeared that they were unwilling to suppress the violence.

The role of the judiciary with respect to the Delhi riots 

In connection with the CAA-NRC protest, around 1,100 demonstrators have been arrested and 5,558 have been held in preventative custody under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The Supreme Court has often said that courts must be aware of both sides of the spectrum, namely, their responsibility to guarantee appropriate criminal law enforcement and their responsibility to ensure that the law does not become a tool for targeted harassment. 

1. The Delhi High Court on 15th June 2021 had granted bail to Asif Iqbal Tanha (Asif Iqbal Tanha vs State, 2021), Devangana Kalita (Devangana Kalita vs State, 2021), and Natasha Narwal (Natasha Narwal vs State, 2021) in relation to the Delhi Riots case observing that Section 43(D) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act was misused by the police authorities in detaining them, thereby putting an end to a prolonged misery faced by them and to the very principle of rule of law. The Hon’ble High Court had also observed that after taking into account the facts of the case, the allegations levied and the entire circumstances, it was clear that the offence of carrying out unlawful activities including rioting was not made out. 
2. The Delhi High Court on 3rd September 2021 granted bail to five people named Furkan, Mohd Arif, Shadab Ahmed, Suvaleen, and Tabassum on a personal bond of Rs 35,000 each with one surety and ordered them not to leave the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT) of Delhi without prior permission of the Court. The bail was granted in relation to the First Information Reports (FIRs) filed on the murder of a head constable, Ratan Lal, as well as injuring a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) during the Delhi violence In addition, the Court had stated that it is its constitutional obligation to guarantee that there is no arbitrary loss of human liberty in the face of government overreach. It went ahead to view that courts must exercise their jurisdiction to uphold the tenets of personal liberty, subject to rightful regulation of the same by validly enacted legislation. 
3. Many other individuals such as Anwar Hussain, Kasim, Shahrukh, Umar Khalid and Khalid Ansari still await justice while being behind the bars for dissenting against the government’s views. 

Kerala Gold Smuggling case

The smuggling of gold into Kerala through diplomatic routes is the subject of the Kerala gold smuggling case. It was discovered after the customs department in Thiruvananthapuram caught 30-kilogram gold worth Rs 14.82 crore smuggled in a cargo disguised as diplomatic luggage on July 5, 2019. On July 11th, 2020, the prime accused of the Kerala gold smuggling case, Swapna Suresh was detained by National Investigation Agency and the customs department and was kept in judicial custody until November 6, 2021. 

Customs seized roughly 251 kg of gold from several airports in Kerala during the 2018–2019 fiscal year. In the fiscal year 2019–20, 540 kg of marijuana was confiscated, which was more than double the previous year’s total. In the same year, over 802 incidents of gold smuggling were also reported. According to different reports from Kerala Police, Koduvally town is a prominent smugglers’ base. Around 70% of the gold smuggled via Calicut International Airport is handled by various players in the area, according to estimates. Due to claimed incidents of the establishment of a link between smugglers and non-state actors, most extremist organizations and violent mafia, smuggling operations have progressed from an economic infraction to a severe security danger to the country. It is also claimed that huge Kerala jewelry businesses trade smuggled gold by posing as tiny fraudulent outfits.

Smuggling in India

Persons who engage in smuggling and other illegal import/export practices, in violation of current prohibitions/restrictions, or with the goal to dodge tariffs or falsely claim export incentives, may face substantial penalties under the Customs Act, 1962. The products in question may be seized, and hefty fines and penalties may be levied. There are also procedures for arrests and punishment to dissuade them from smuggling and business frauds, which have major economic and social consequences when it comes to sensitive products like narcotics, guns, and ammunition.

Tuticorin custodial killings

The Tamil Nadu Police in Sathankulam, Thoothukudi district, arrested P. Jeyaraj (59 years old) and his son J. Beniks (also written Fennix, Bennix) (31 years old) for allegedly breaking the Indian Government’s COVID-19 lockdown restrictions on June 19, 2020. The father-son duo was arrested on June 19 for allegedly keeping their mobile accessory business open over its permitted hours, according to the police. On June 19, an FIR was filed against the two, and they were both arrested. The CBI, on the other hand, maintained there were no violations of the shutdown guidelines in the charge sheet.  While in police custody, the father and the son were tortured, resulting in their deaths. Beniks became unwell on June 22, 2020, and was sent to the Kovilpatti General Hospital, where he died later that day. His father died the next day, on June 22, 2020. 

Custodial deaths and role of courts

The Madras High Court’s Madurai bench took suo motu cognizance of the case on June 24, 2020, and on that day, Justices P.N. Prakash and B. Pugalendhi instructed the Superintendent of Police, Thoothukudi, to investigate the event and provide a status report.  After the police finished their inquest hearings, the Court had ordered that the autopsy be videotaped by a panel of three specialists in the presence of a Magistrate. The High Court received copies of both the autopsy and inquest findings. The State Human Rights Commission of Tamil Nadu had taken suo motu note of the offence and had requested a response from the Police Department. Observing that ‘the actions of the government must inspire people’s trust. Every time a person dies in custody, the state’s legitimacy takes a hit’, Justice G.R. Swaminathan had issued a set of guidelines for the state actors to follow and abide by in order to avoid the occurrence of such instances in future. 

Bangalore Riots case

On 11 August 2020, the nephew of an Indian National Congress state legislator, Akhanda Srinivas Murthee, reportedly made a disparaging statement against the Islamic prophet Muhammad on Facebook. People began gathering in front of the legislator’s mansion in Kaval Byrasandra in protest after the post became viral in the neighborhood, asking that the accused be jailed. The nephew was detained by two police squads from the DJ Halli station. Small groups came near Kaval Byrasandra at 8 p.m., according to the police, after which hundreds gathered around the DJ Halli police station, demanding punishment against those guilty for the social media post. Members of the SDPI were said to be present in the DJ Halli audience. People in the crowd became irritated when they attempted to file a complaint but said that the police were unwilling to do so. Meanwhile, officers at DJ Halli station sought to ease tensions with the help of local residents, but when one of the teams returned without the accused, the mob stormed the station, vandalized it, and even set fire to police cars. Two additional Congress state lawmakers, Zameer Ahmed Khan, and Rizwan Arshad, arrived at the DJ Halli station around 10:30 p.m. to assist in calming the situation, but the violence had apparently escalated by this time. A group of Muslim teenagers created a human chain around the local temple near DJ Halli station between 11:00 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. to defend it in case of escalation. Fortunately, the situation did not escalate into a communal riot, according to later police evidence.

On August 12, 2020, Sandeep Patil of the JCP (Crime) Bengaluru revealed that 110 persons had been detained in connection with the incident. Attempting to kill and obstructing a public worker were among the charges levelled against the defendants. A curfew was imposed in the DJ Halli and KG Halli police jurisdictions, according to Bengaluru Police Commissioner Kamal Pant, while Section 144 was implemented throughout the remainder of the city. Pant later that day extended the curfew till 6 a.m. on August 15th. Kuldeep Jain, DCP of the Central Crime Branch, defended the police shooting by claiming that proper procedures were followed. According to his evidence, the police sought to persuade the mob, but they became aggressive and began hurling stones at the officers, necessitating the deployment of extra forces.

The aftermath 

The Karnataka state government had planned to recover damages caused by the riots of August 11, 2020, but had discovered that the process would not be an easy task taking into account that the suspects of the riots who were arrested were majorly poor and barely owned any assets, which could be used to recover the cost of the damages caused. The government had therefore approached the Karnataka High Court seeking the appointment of a commission to look into the same. It is to be noted that although the High Court was empowered to issue such a commission according to Supreme Court’s guidelines, the responsibility of the state government to prove the case against the accused thereby identifying the properties to be seized stood foremost. A retired judge of the High Court, Justice H.S. Kempanna was appointed as a commissioner to look into the matter. Interestingly, on 11th January 2021, the Karnataka state government had faced embarrassment before the High Court as the Commissioner had complained of not being provided with efficient infrastructure to execute his duties. Former Mayor of Bengaluru, Sampath Raj, and former Corporator, Abdul Raqueeb Zakir who were arrested on grounds of the riots, were granted bail by the Karnataka High Court under Section Section 167(2) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), 1973, along with other accused individuals. 

Sandalwood drugs case

In connection with a drug-selling investigation, the Karnataka Police have detained a number of persons, including several Kannada actors, and summoned others from the ‘Sandalwood’ film business. So far, the Bengaluru police’s Central Crime Branch (CCB) has detained actors Ragini Dwivedi and Sanjjanaa Galrani, as well as Diganth Manchale and his wife Aindrita Ray, Akul Balaji, and Santosh Kumar. Aditya Alva, son of late minister Jeevaraj Alva and brother-in-law of Bollywood star Vivek Oberoi, and film producer Shiva Prakash are also mentioned in the CCB’s FIR. On August 28, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) detained three people for allegedly distributing narcotics to singers and actors in the film business, prompting the CCB to step up its probe. The Bureau, headquartered in Bengaluru, said that Anikha Dinesh, was the ringleader, with help from Anoop Mohammed and Rijesh Ravichandran from Kerala. A residence in Bengaluru was raided and a large quantity of Ecstasy tablets and LSD blots worth Rs 20 lakh were discovered. Anoop Mohammed was allegedly linked with the same, according to the NCB. While several media reports claim different angles to the present case, currently it will be beneficial to state that the sandalwood drug case has had an open end with no logical conclusion. 

Bois Locker Room

The inquiry of an Instagram group conversation formed by a group of schoolboys from South Delhi, India in 2020 is familiar by the name of the Bois Locker Room issue. The goal of the group chat was to distribute indecent photographs of women, many of whom were under the age of 18, resulting in public uproar and rumors. Members of the organization are claimed to include students in the 11th and 12th grades at some of Delhi’s most prestigious institutions, that used photographs of underage females without their permission, as well as nasty remarks, including references to gang rape. The prevalence of rape culture in schools caused arguments and controversy as a result of this. Members of the “Bois Locker Room” threatened to disclose nude images of the women who reported them, according to social media sites that shared leaked screenshots from the group. The Delhi Commission for Women criticized the organization in May 2020, and the Delhi Police’s cyber unit launched an investigation. 

Despite the fact that Delhi was under lockdown for COVID-19, the probe was apparently hastened with the support of Swati Maliwal, the Chairwoman of the Delhi Commission for Women. By May 6, 2020, fifteen students had been interrogated and one had been detained. Many of the 27 participants were found to be under the age of 18. On May 11, 2020, police in Noida, arrested the administrator of “Bois Locker Room,” caught another adolescent in the group, and confiscated all of the defendants’ cell phones. 24 of the 27 youngsters had been inspected, two were out of reach, and one’s specifics were still being worked out.

Cybercrime in India 

Cybercrime is a wide phrase that refers to criminal conduct in which computers or computer networks are utilized as a tool, a target, or a location for illegal activity. It can range from electronic theft to denial of service assaults. Phishing, credit card fraud, bank robbery, illegal downloading, industrial espionage, child pornography, kidnapping minors via chat rooms, scams, cyber terrorism, the production and or dissemination of viruses, spam, and so on are all examples of cybercrime. It also encompasses classic crimes involving the use of computers or networks to facilitate illegal activities. It is extremely disheartening to state that India lacks robust cyberlaw jurisprudence leading to rising in such crimes in recent times. The rate of cybercrime (incidents per lakh population) also increased from 3.3% in 2019 to 3.7% in 2020 in the country, according to the National Crime Records Bureau. 

Conclusion 

A pregnant wild elephant in Kerala’s Silent Valley Forest was the victim of an act of human brutality on 27th May 2020, when she chomped on a pineapple loaded with strong crackers supplied by a man and it detonated in her mouth. After she bit the pineapple and it exploded in her mouth, her jaw was damaged and she was unable to eat. While the elephant silently passed away, her unborn child couldn’t see the light of the day. While such inhuman acts are no less than any heinous crimes, it is shocking to see how inhuman people are becoming in recent times. The police, the prosecution, the courts, and the penal facilities cannot handle crime prevention and control alone, they require the utmost coordination and cooperation from all elements of society. For effective crime prevention, great efforts must be made to raise public awareness and ensure people’s engagement in all parts of the crime issue.

References 

• https://theprint.in/india/hathras-was-no-exception-at-least-4-rape-victims-were-forcibly-cremated-by-police/743817/
• https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/encounter-erupts-as-vikas-dubey-tries-to-escape-upon-reaching-kanpur-report-1698900-2020-07-10
• https://theprint.in/india/panel-probing-gangster-vikas-dubeys-encounter-gives-clean-chit-to-police/719065/
• https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-52541298
• https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/news/india/boys-locker-room-girl-posed-as-a-boy-to-suggest-sexual-assault-on-herself-says-cyber-cell-dcp/articleshow/75667264.cms

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