In Brief
A man accused of rape under Section 376 IPC claimed juvenility. The High Court set aside the trial court's finding that he was a juvenile and ordered reconsideration, directing a medical examination. The Supreme Court reversed the High Court, holding that age determination must be based on documentary evidence (school or birth certificates) in a prescribed order, with medical examination only as a last resort when documents are unavailable or fabricated. The court emphasized that its findings based on documentary evidence are conclusive. For continuing offences like rape, juvenility is determined by reference to the date of the last incident, not the first.
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