In 1988, the Supreme Court canceled the jail sentence on Wednesday (July 23, 2025) after the matter of being a minor at the time of the crime of a person convicted in the rape case of a teenager, but the Supreme Court has upheld his conviction.

According to PTI report, a bench of Chief Justice Bhushan Ramakrishna Gavai and Justice Augustine George Christ said that the convict claims that he was a minor at the time he had this incident. The bench said that after this claim, the Supreme Court directed the District and Sessions Judge of Ajmer to investigate his claims.

After considering the investigation report, the bench said that on the date of the crime i.e. 17 November 1988, the age of the accused was 16 years, two months and three days. The court said, “The appellant was a minor at the time of the crime.” The bench mentioned the decisions of the Supreme Court and said that the argument of being a teenager can be raised in any court. Even after the settlement of the case, it should be recognized at any level.

The Supreme Court said that the appellant was a minor at that time, so the provisions contained in the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 will apply in the case. The bench said, ‘As a result, the sentence pronounced by the lower court and the High Court is canceled as it cannot remain. We order accordingly.

The bench sent the case to the board to pass the appropriate order in the light of Section 15 and 16 of the Juvenile Justice (Children’s Care and Protection) Act, 2000 and directed the appellant to appear before the board on 15 September.

While Section 15 of the Act is related to the order that can be passed in relation to the minor, Section 16 is associated with the order not being passed against the minor. The Supreme Court’s decision came on the appeal of the accused against Rajasthan Highcut’s verdict of July 2024.