In Brief
A 16-year-old boy was arrested for kidnapping and murder. He claimed to be a juvenile based on a matriculation certificate showing his date of birth as 17 December 1998. The Juvenile Justice Board rejected this claim, finding his true date of birth to be 17 December 1995 based on school records and identity documents he had voluntarily obtained. The Sessions Judge upheld the rejection, but the High Court reversed it, relying on the matriculation certificate. The Supreme Court restored the rejection, holding that while matriculation certificates normally carry precedence, this one lacked credibility because the school had recorded the date without requiring underlying documentation. The consistent date of birth (1995) in the school register and the applicant's own driving licence and Aadhaar card proved more reliable. The Court concluded he was not a juvenile at the time of the alleged crime.
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