Uttarakhand High Court Orders Release of Juvenile Convict

The Uttarakhand High Court has ordered the release of a prisoner who had been jailed for 13 years, discovering he was a minor at the time of the crime. His life sentence was invalidated under the Juvenile Justice Act. A detailed inquiry confirmed he was 15 years old during the crime.

The Uttarakhand High Court has intervened to secure the release of a prisoner who served 13 years of a life sentence in a murder case. Authorities confirmed he was only 15 at the time of the crime, making his life sentence inappropriate under juvenile laws.

A division bench, comprising Justices Ravindra Maithani and Ashish Naithani, determined that the sentence no longer held legal validity as the individual was a minor during the 2003 incident in Roorkee. This decision follows a comprehensive inquiry into his age at the time of the crime.

The court invoked provisions from the Juvenile Justice Act, highlighting that a juvenile's claim can be presented at any trial stage. With evidence showing the convict was underage, the court mandated his immediate release, pursuant to regulations banning life imprisonment for juveniles, as he had already been incarcerated for over 13 years.

(With inputs from agencies.)