NEW DELHI: In September, months before the slated release of the juvenile convict in the Nirbhaya case, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) came out with a shocking report that he was radicalised by a fellow Kashmiri juvenile militant. It noted the militant was brainwashing the rape convict to join jihadi elements in Kashmir after his release from the reformatory.
“Enquiries reveal that taking advantage of his proximity (Kashmiri juvenile) is brain-washing and motivating (Juvenile convict in Nirbhaya case) to join Jihad in Kashmir after his scheduled release from Juvenile welfare home. It is also learnt that Juvenile convict in Nirbhaya case, is scared of returning to his village after completing the sentence as he fears for his life because of the gravity of crime committed by him,” the report said.
At the time of arrest, the juvenile convicted in the Nirbhaya case claimed he was just over 17. In accordance to law, the Juvenile Justice Board sentenced him to three years’ stay in a juvenile welfare home.
On October 7, the home ministry asked the authorities to keep the two juveniles in separate cells and to offer professional counselling to the rape convict as suggested by the IB. It had also asked the authorities to examine his level of radicalisation and if there is ground to put him under preventive detention.