In Brief
Two appellants convicted of murder under IPC Section 302 read with Sections 148-149 claimed for the first time before the Supreme Court that they were juveniles (under 18) at the time of the 1994 offence. The Court directed a medical (ossification) test, which estimated their age at 35-40 years in 2016. The Court held that while medical evidence is a useful guiding factor, it is not conclusive—especially after age 30—and must be considered with other evidence. Given the appellants' criminal history spanning 1988-2003 with no juvenile proceedings, despite claims they would have been visibly identifiable as children, the Court rejected their plea of juvenility as lacking credible corroborating evidence and dismissed their appeals."
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