Date:02/09/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/09/02/stories/2006090225560300.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Desire to lead a luxurious lifestyle driving youth to crime

LAW &ORDER Interrogation of the accused revealed that a good meal and a drink and fashionable clothes had pushed most of them to crime, writes K.V. Subramanya

THE ARREST of eight youths, aged between 19 and 22, by J.P. Nagar police on Wednesday has again showed how the desire to lead a luxurious life is driving several youngsters to crime in Bangalore.

The accused, according to the police, waylaid people in secluded areas and robbed them of cash and valuables with the sole intention of leading a luxurious life.

During the past four years, the city police have arrested nearly 5,500 persons in the 17 to 25 age group who were involved in crime.

During interrogation, the police have found that a good meal and a drink and fashionable clothes had pushed most of them to crime.

On an average, 2,000 people in the 17 to 25 age group have been arrested each year during the past four years and several of them were first-time offenders.

Most of these youngsters were arrested on charges of snatching gold chains/mobile phones and stealing vehicles, the police said.

Among the arrested are several students, including those studying in professional colleges.

Flashy lifestyle

For instance, an engineering student from Andhra Pradesh who was inspired by Telugu movies and had taken to burglary to lead a flashy lifestyle was arrested by the Byatarayanapura police a few months ago.

The police recovered gold ornaments worth Rs. 2 lakh from Roopesh Kumar (25) of Bangarapalya taluk in Chittoor district, who was allegedly involved in four cases of burglary.

When the police questioned the arrested persons on what forced them to take to crime, they got four reasons.

While some accused claimed that they had indulged in crime to make money, the others said that they wanted to have a good meal and a drink at expensive hotels and to buy fashionable clothes, mainly branded denims, the police said.

In some cases, the arrested youth claimed that they had taken to crime to earn money for visiting prostitutes. Incidentally, several youngsters were caught while they were visiting call girls, the police pointed out.

On the other hand, the police also found that most of the accused in several murders, particularly that had resulted from gang rivalry, were also young people aged below 25.

Counselling

To bring back these youth to the social main stream, the police have been organising counselling sessions for them after their release from jail.