Delhi Police contemplating booking juvenile convicted in December 16 gangrape-murder case under NSA

New Delhi: With less than a month left for the juvenile convicted in the December 16 gangrape and murder to come out of the remand home, Delhi Police is contemplating whether he can be booked under the stringent National Security Act.

Sources said that on November 22, senior police officers held a meeting with senior lawyers and sought an opinion on the same.

The detention under National Security Act can stretch for one year. The officers are seeking the opinion whether such a detention can pass judicial scrutiny.

The convict, who is now 21, is likely to be released in December when he completes three years in the correctional home.

In September, an Intelligence Bureau report said that he had been radicalised by one of the suspect of the 2011 Delhi High Court blast. The report said that the teenager was being motivated for jihad.

The Home Ministry, too, has sought an opinion from the Delhi Police. A high-level meeting was called by the ministry which was attended by the Director of Intelligence Bureau, Special Secretary of Internal Security with MHA and Delhi Police Commissioner.

Earlier, parents of the brutal gangrape victim had also approached the National Human Rights Commission, asking for a stay on his release.

"Parents have stated that the juvenile, who was largely responsible for the death of their daughter and was the most brutal amongst all the offenders, is supposed to be released sometime in December. They have submitted that such persons are threat to the life and liberty of the common man. There should be a mechanism to keep a strict check on them so that people are not subjected to any risk of being harmed. The complainants have also stated that the rate of recidivism (committing crimes again) is fairly high," an NHRC statement had said.

When can one be booked under NSA

To prevent any person from acting in any manner prejudicial to the defence of India, the relations of India with foreign powers, or the security of India, or from acting in any manner prejudicial to the maintenance of Public order.