Patna High Court Allows Juvenility Plea After 32 Years in 1993 Attempt to Murder Case

The Patna High Court ruled that a plea of juvenility can be raised at any stage, even after conviction. The Court directed the Juvenile Justice Board, Siwan, to inquire into the age of an appellant convicted in a 1993 attempt to murder case.

The appellant submitted a matriculation certificate showing he was 17 years, 11 months, and 15 days old at the time of the offence.

Relying on Supreme Court precedents, the court held that the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000, applies retrospectively to pending cases, emphasizing its rehabilitative purpose. 

The inquiry will determine if the appellant was a juvenile during the offence.

[Shiv Jee Singh & Ors v. State of Bihar]