Juvenile Justice: Convict Walks Free After Supreme Court Ruling

The Supreme Court ruled that a convict was a minor at the time of a 2013 crime in Faizabad, releasing him from life imprisonment. The court upheld the conviction but canceled the sentence, acknowledging his juvenile status during the offense. The decision follows a report confirming his age.

The Supreme Court has mandated the release of a convict previously sentenced to life imprisonment for a 2013 crime in Faizabad, owing to findings that he was a minor at the time of the offense. The verdict follows the examination of records by the Juvenile Justice Board.

The case, involving the rape and murder of a 10-year-old girl, saw the convict initially facing a death penalty, later commuted to life imprisonment by the Allahabad High Court. The recent ruling upheld the conviction but annulled the life sentence after confirming he was underage when the crime occurred.

This decision reflects the judiciary's commitment to juvenile justice principles, emphasizing the consideration of age in criminal responsibility. The convict spent over a decade in jail before this landmark ruling by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar.

(With inputs from agencies.)