In Brief
Sagar Behera was convicted of murder and robbery in 2004 and sentenced to life imprisonment. In his appeal to the Supreme Court, he claimed for the first time that he was a minor (under 18) when the crime occurred in 2001. The Court directed investigation of school records to verify his actual date of birth. After finding that he was indeed born on 20 May 1984 (making him a minor at the time), the Court ordered his release on suspended sentence pending a decision on permanent remission within two months, noting he had already spent over 20 years in jail with good behaviour."
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