Thirty-seven years after raping an 11-year-old girl in Rajasthan’s Ajmer, a man, now almost 53, was declared a youth by the Supreme Court. The court maintained the conviction but sent the case to a youth Justice Board for conviction under the Juvenile Justice Act.
The incident took place in November 1988 when the victim was raped as he got water at her school. The Supreme Court -Bank, led by supreme judge BR Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih, rated school records that show that the convicted person was born in 1972, making him 16 years and 2 months old at the time.
The court set aside the previous five -year prison sentence and stated that the punishment follows the Juvenile Law Act of 2000, which limits the penalties to three years in a youth center.
Since the convicted person is now 53, legal experts suggest that he may be confronted with alternative fines such as community service. He has already served a year in prison during the trial.
The court noted that the issue of youthfulness was not discussed during the trial or the Supreme Court. It was first brought up in the appeal of the Supreme Court.
In January 2025, the court ordered the Rajasthan authorities to verify the age of the convicted person. A report from the supplementary sessions judge in Ajmer confirmed his year of birth in 1972 based on school records.
The bank said that youth can be increased at every stage, even after the case has been resolved. The conviction was confirmed on the basis of the victim’s statement, supported by witness statements and medical evidence.
The court stated that only a credible victim statement can be sufficient for conviction in cases of a sexual offense and that no further confirmation is required.
– ends
#Rajasthan #Man #juvenile #years #raping #minor