Pune Sees Dramatic Drop in Juvenile Crime in 2025

According to the latest data, Pune has seen a significant drop in juvenile crime in 2025. The city's crime branch reports 149 cases between January and October 2025, compared to 303 during the same period last year. The number of minors apprehended has also fallen from 514 in 2024 to 234 this year.

However, the police remain concerned about the gravity of recent offenses involving juveniles. In November 2025, three minors allegedly hacked a 17-year-old to death in broad daylight. Earlier, five juveniles housed at an observation home were accused of attempting to strangle a fellow inmate. Incidents of mass vandalism and vehicle thefts by minors have also been reported.

The decline in juvenile crime is being credited to Pune's 'Mission Parivartan' program, which provides counseling, skills development, mental health support, and family outreach to over 700 young offenders. The joint commissioner of police says the program aims to reform, not just punish, and has helped many former repeat offenders find employment or return to education.

Despite the overall drop in numbers, experts warn that the emotional and social vacuum driving children into adult-scale crimes must be addressed. Psychologists note that many of these minors come from unstable environments and seek identity, power, and belonging in violent peer groups, often with easy access to alcohol, weapons, and online influences that glamorize aggression.