CHITWAN: Police in Chitwan district have expressed concern over the growing trend of children being used to commit crimes.
According to the Chitwan District Police Office, 86 children between the ages of 10 and 18 were arrested in the past year for involvement in eight different types of crimes.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Govinda Puri, chief of Chitwan District Police, said 26 were arrested for public offenses and misconduct, 22 for theft, 21 in drug-related cases, seven for attempted murder, five for rape, two for attempted rape, two for vehicular homicide, and one for cybercrime.
SP Puri said children are increasingly being exploited, particularly in theft and drug trafficking. “They are lured into crime by being offered small amounts of money,” he said, adding that children are also used in drug smuggling and even in public disorder cases.
Police said in many theft cases, adults bring children from the Tarai to Chitwan to carry out the crimes, allowing the ringleaders to profit while the minors face legal action. Authorities have also arrested and prosecuted some of the adults who deployed children in such crimes.
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