Mumbai, October 19, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Samajwadi Party (SP) Maharashtra president and MLA Abu Asim Azmi on Monday called for lowering the age threshold for juvenile offenders to 14 years, arguing that those aged 15 or 16 who commit murder should face the same punishment as adults.
Speaking to IANS, Azmi said the existing age threshold for treating an accused as a minor should be reduced, claiming that young people in this age group could commit serious crimes without fear of consequences.
“First and foremost, my demand is that the age threshold for a minor be lowered from 17 years to 14 years. At 15 or 16, young people have ‘hot blood’; they fear no one and are capable of doing anything. This age limit should be reduced to 12, 13 or 14 years. If they commit murder, they should face the same punishment as anyone else,” Azmi said.
Reacting to the firing incident involving actor Tiger Shroff in Mumbai, Azmi criticised the city’s law and order situation, alleging that several incidents of murder and violence had taken place without receiving adequate public attention.
“First Baba Siddique, now Tiger Shroff, and it doesn’t end there. Many other murders have occurred previously as well. However, since those victims were not prominent or famous figures, their cases haven’t been highlighted. Murders are rampant in Mumbai. In Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar, people are being murdered over the most trivial matters. The law and order situation is in a dire state,” he said.
Azmi also criticised the Maharashtra government, alleging that it was concentrating its efforts on targeting Muslims instead of addressing concerns over public safety and law enforcement.
“I want to tell Chief Minister Fadnavis that this government is focussing all its energy on humiliating Muslims. I ask, why don’t such murders happen in Singapore? Why does no one dare to commit such acts there? Why are there no murders in Arab countries? And if a murder does occur, how quickly is a verdict reached? Just look back at the pages of history,” he said.
The SP leader added that people in Mumbai were living in constant fear and said it was shameful for the government when individuals openly claimed responsibility for crimes.
The firing incident occurred around 7 p.m. on Sunday when Shroff was returning by car from a football ground in Mumbai’s Juhu area.
According to police, the assailants fired at the vehicle with a pistol, injuring the driver. Another person present at the scene was also hit by a bullet.
A Mumbai Police official said Shroff managed to lean forward when the shots were fired, helping him avoid a direct hit. However, he sustained an injury from a fragment of shattered glass.
Police are investigating the motive behind the attack, tracing the weapon used in the shooting and determining whether others were involved.
In a significant development, Kota City Police in Rajasthan apprehended three suspects, including a minor, at Kota railway station in connection with the firing incident involving the Bollywood actor.
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