SC ORDERS RELEASE OF MAN JAILED FOR 12 YEARS AS JUVENILITY AT OFFENSE TIME CONFIRMED

The Supreme Court has ordered the release of a man who had already served more than 12 years in prison after receiving a life sentence for a murder committed in 2005.

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The court determined that he was a juvenile at the time of the offense. A bench of Justice BR Gavai, Justice PS Narasimha, and Justice Sanjay Kumar referred to a May 2023 report from an additional sessions judge who was tasked with investigating the man's claim of juvenility. The report indicated that his date of birth was May 2, 1989. The bench stated, "If the date of birth of the petitioner is May 2, 1989, he was 16 years seven months old as on the date of the crime, i.e., December 21, 2005. Accordingly, the petitioner was a juvenile in conflict with the law on the date of commission of the offence." The apex court passed the order in response to a plea filed by the petitioner seeking verification of his claim of juvenility and appropriate