Offences Committed During Juvenility Cannot Justify Preventive Detention: Karnataka High Court

The Karnataka High Court held that offences committed during juvenility cannot be relied upon to justify preventive detention under special laws.

The case involved a detention order passed against an individual based on past criminal cases registered when he was a minor.

The Court observed that a separate rehabilitative framework governs juvenile offences and cannot be treated on par with adult criminal conduct to infer a future threat to public order.

It emphasised that preventive detention must be based on present and proximate material, not past acts committed during juvenility, and accordingly set aside the detention order.

[Smt. Marry Usha v. State of Karnataka & Ors.]