Holding

The Board was correct in ordering a medical age determination and in refusing the one‑year benefit; the medical opinion is permissible where documentary evidence of age is doubtful, and the orders of the lower courts stand.

Summary

Parag Bhat, alleged to be a juvenile, claimed minority based on school certificates, but the certificates were found forged or doubtful. The Juvenile Justice Board, after noting the discrepancies, referred the matter to a medical board which, through ossification tests, determined the appellant to be about 19 years old and ordered his trial as an adult, refusing the one‑year benefit under Rule 12. The appellant challenged this order, arguing that the medical test should not be used when a school certificate existed. The Supreme Court held that when documentary proof of age is unreliable, a medical opinion is a permissible last resort, and the Board correctly applied the law, including the denial of the one‑year benefit. Consequently, the Court found no illegality in the Board’s, Sessions Court’s, or High Court’s orders and dismissed the appeal.

Issues considered

Whether a medical ossification test can be resorted to as the final method of age determination when the date of birth in the matriculation certificate is doubtful under Section 7A of the Juvenile Justice Act and Rule 12 of the 2007 Rules.
Whether the Juvenile Justice Board was justified in not granting the one‑year benefit under Rule 12 when the appellant’s age was assessed to be 18 years, 10 months and 6 days.

Legislation cited

Indian Penal Code, 1860s. 302, s. 394, s. 504, s. 506
Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000s. 49, s. 7A
Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Rules, 2007s. Rule 12

Subjects

juvenile justiceage determinationossification testmedical boardforged documentsbenevolent legislationserious offenceRule 12Section 7Aclaim of juvenility

Judgment

[2016] 2 S.C.R. I 089

PARAG BHAT! (JUVENILE) THR. LEGAL GUARDIAN- A
MOTHER-SMT. RAJNI BHAT!
v.
STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH AND ANR.
(Criminal Appeal No. 486 of2016) B
MAY12,2016
[A. K. SIKRI AND R. K. AGRAWAL, JJ.]
Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000:
s. 7A - Juvenility of the accused on the date of occurrence - c
Determination of - Date of birth mentioned in the matriculation
certificate doubtful, direction by the Medical Board for conducting
ossification test of accused and the Board holding that appellant is·
a major - Correctness of - Held: If the Board comes to the
conclusion that the date of birth mentioned in the matriculation
D
certificate raises some doubt on the basis of material or evidence
on record, it can seek medical opinion from a duly constituted
medical board to determine the age of the accused person claiming
juvenility - On facts, discrepancy in the date of birth mentioned in
school certificate - Transfer certificate issued by the Junior High
School found to be forged - As such the medical of the appellant E
was conducted by the Medical Board wherein his age was assessed
about 19 years and he was ordered to be tried by the Session Court
- Board rightly did not give the benefit of one year to the appellant
under the Rules - Since there was doubt on the correctness of the
date of birth, an enquiry for determination of the age of the accused
F
was done - Thus, no illegality in the orders passed by the Board
and the Courts below - Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Rules,
2007 - r. 12.
Principal of benevolent legislation - Brnejit of - When - Held:
Benefit would apply to only such cases wherein the accused is held
to be a juvenile on the basis of at least prima facie evidence G
regarding his minority - Benefit of the possibilities of two views
cannoi be given to the accused involved in grave and serious offence
committed in a planned manner - Courts cannot adopt a casual or
cavalier approach while recording whether an accused is a juvenile
or not - Courts are enjoined upon to perform their duties with the H
1089
1090 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2016] 2 S.C.R.

A object of protecting the confidence of common man in the institution
entrusted with the administration of justice.
Dismissing the appeal, the Conrt
HELD: 1.1 It is clear that under Section 7A of the Jnvenile
Justice Act, the conrt is enjoined to make an inquiry and take
B snch evidence as may be necessary· to determine the age of the
person who claims to be a juvenile. However, under Rule 12 of
the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection} Rules, 2007, the Board
is enjoined to take evidence by obtaining the matricnlation
certificate if available, and in its absence, the date of birth
c certificate from the school first attended and if it is also not
available then the birth certificate given by the local body. In
case any of the above certificates are not available then medical
opinion can be resorted to. However, if the Board comes to the
conclusion that the date of birth mentioned in the matriculation
certificate raises some doubt on the basis of material or evidence
D on record,Jt can seek medical opinion from a dnly constituted
medical board to determine the age of the accused person
claiming jnvenility. [Para 16) [1101-C-E]
1.2 From the documents on record, it is seen that the date
of birth of the appellant-accnsed is 13.09.1995 in the records of
E the High School and 17.09.1994 is mentioned in the records of
Kisan Vaidik Junior High School. If the date of birth mentioned
in such certificate is proved wrong then it cannot be relied upon.
A~ the date of birth which is alleged to have been recorded in
Saint Joseph School is on the basis of the transfer certificate
F issued by the Kisan Vaidik J nnior High School and such transfer
certificate has been found to be forged, therefore,· the Board. came
to the conclnsion that the date of birth mentioned in the certificate
issned by the Secondary School Examination mentioning it as
13.09.1995 on the basis of Vishwa Bharti Pnblic School, Greater
Noida cannot be believed. Fnrther, the date of birth which was
G recorded in Vishwa Bharti Public School was on the ba~is of the
date of birth recorded in Saint Joseph School and the date of
birth recorded in the Saint Joseph School had been found to be
without having any basis. On 30.08.2011, the Board, on merits,
conducted proceedings to register case against father of the
appellant for prodnci,ng forged evidence and giving false statement
PARAG BHATI (JUVENILE) TH. LEGAL GUARDIAN- 1091
MOTHER-SMT. RAJNI BHATI v. STATE OF U. P.

before the Court which fact has already been proved that the A
documents produced on behalf of the appellant-accused were
forged. [Paras 18, 21) (1102-H; 1103-A; 1104-G-H; 1105-A]
· 1.3 nue to this discrepancy, the Medical of the appellant-
accused got conducted by the Medical Board wherein on
23.08.2011, his age was assessed about 19 years and the Board B
fixed the age of the appellant-accused as 18 years, 10 months
and 6 days and he was ordered to be tried by the Session Court.
The Board did not give the benefit of one year as provided in
Rule 12 of the Rules in favour of the appellant-accused on the
ground that the complainant-Respondent No. 2 had filed the
photocopy of Panchayat Electoral Roll 2009 Development Block c
Dankaur, according to which, the age on 01.01.2009 was
mentioned as 19 years and the date of the incident is 29.06.2011.
Therefore, the Board rightly did not give the benefit of one year
to the appellant-accused under the Rules. [Para 22][1105-B-D)
1.4 The plea that the appellant-accused studied in Aster D
Public School up to Class 6th and thereafter, Mussoorie Modern
School was neve·r raised before the Board for reasons best known
arid the a·ppellant cannot take advantage of a new case being set
up before this Court for determination of age under the JJ Act.
[Para 23] [1105-E] E
1.5 If there is a clear and unambiguous case in favour of the
juvenile accused that he was « minor below the age of 18 years
on the date of the incident and the documentary evidence at least
prima facie proves the same, he would be entitled to the special
protection under the JJ Act. But when an accused commits a F
grave and heinous offence and thereafter attempts to take
statutory shelter under the guise of being• a minor, a casual or
cavalier approach while recording as to whether an accused is a
juvenile or not cannot be permitted as the courts are enjoined
upon to perform their duties with the object of protecting the
confidence of common man in the institution entrusted with the G
administration of justice. [Para 26] [1107-C-D]
1.6 The benefit of the principle of benevolent legislation
attached to the JJ Act would thus apply to only such cases wherein
the accused is held to be ·a juvenile on the basis of at least prima
facie evidence regarding his minority as the benefit of the H
1092 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2016) 2 S.C.R.

A possibilities of two views in regard to the age of the alleged
accused who is involved in grave and serious offence which he
committed and gave effect to it in a well-planned manner reflecting
his maturity of mind rather than innocence indicating tha~ his plea
of juvenility is more in the nature of a shield to dodge or dupe the
arms of law, cannot be allowed to come to his rescue. (Para 27)
B
(1107-E-F)
1. 7 If the matriculation or equivalent certificates are
available and there is no other material to prove the correctness,
the date of birth mentioned in the matriculation certificate has to
be treated as a conclusive proof of the date of birth of the accused.
c However, if there is any doubt or a contradictory stand is being
taken by the accused which raises a doubt on the correctness of
the date of birth, an enquiry for determination of the age of the
accused is permissible which was done in the instant case. There
is no illegality in the orders passed by the Board and the Courts
below which requires interference. [Paras 28, 29] (1107-G-H;
D
1108-A]
Abuzar Hossain alias Gu/am Hossain vs. State of West
Bengal 2012 (9) SCR 244 : (2012) 10 SCC 489 - relied
on.
Rajinder Chandra vs. State of Chhattisgarh and Another
E (2002) 2 sec 287; Hari Ram VS. State of Rajasthan &
Another 2009 (7) SCR 623:(2009) 13 SCC 211;
Ashwani Kumar Saxena vs. State of Madhya Pradesh
2012 (10) SCR 540:(2012) 9 SCC 750; Mahadeo s!o
Kerba Maske vs. State ~f Maharashtra and Anr (2013)
F 14 SCC 637; State of Madhya Pradesh vs. Anoop Singh
2015 (6) SCR 960:(2015) 7 SCC 773; Om Prakash vs.
State of Rajasthan and Am: 2012 (5) SCR 237:(2012)
5 sec 201 - referred to.
Case Law Reference
G (200~l 2 sec 2s1 referred to Para 7
2009 (7) SCR 623 referred to Paras
20J2 (10) SCR 540 referred to Para9
(2013) 14 sec 637 referred to Para 10
2015 (~) SCR 960 referred to Para 10
2012 (5) SCR 237 referred to Para 12
H 2012 (~) SCR 244 relied on Para 13
PARAG BHAT! (JUVENILE) TH. LEGAL GUARDIAN- 1093
MOTHER-SMT. RAJNI BHAT! v. STATE OF U. P.

CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION : Criminal Appeal A
No. 486 of 2016.
From the Judgment and Order dated 24.05.2013 of the High Court
ofJudicature at Allahabad in CRLR No. 4377 of201 I.
Dr. V. P. Appan, Advocate for the Appellants.
B
Ms. Archana Singh and Abhisth Kumar, Advocates for the
Respondents.
The Judgment of the Court was delivered by
R. K. AGRAWAL, J. I. Leave granted.
2. This appeal is directed against the final judgment and order
c
dated 24.05.2013 passed by the learned single Judge of the High Court
ofJudicature at Allahabad in Criminal Revision No. 4377 of2011 whereby
the High Court dismissed the revision filed by the appellant herein against
the judgments and orders passed by the Juvenile Justice Board and the
Court of District & Sessions Judge, Mcc'rut dated 07.09.2011 and D
04.10.2011 respectively.
3. Brief facts:
(a) On 29.06.2011, one Shri Rajpal Singh (the complainant)-
Respondent No. 2 herein lodged a complaint with P.S. Kasana, Dist.
Gautambudh Nagar, informing that his son-Satender, who was residing E
with his family at Greater Noida, was found dead in his house.
(b) On the basis of the said complaint, a First Information Report
(FIR) being No. 360 of2011dated29.06.2011 got registered under
Sections 302, 394, 504 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (in sh011
'the Code') at P.S. Kasana, Dist. Gautambudh Nagar. F

(c) During investigation, the appellant herein got arrested on
05.07.2011 with regard to the crime in question and was produced before
the Juvenile Court and was remanded and kept in Juvenile Home.
(d) The father of the appellant-accused filed an application before G
the Juvenile Justice Board stating that the date of birth of the appellant-
accused is 13.09.1995. The application on behalf of the appellant-
accused for proving his juvenility was supported with various school
certificates issued by the competent authorities from time to time.
(e) The Juven.ile Justice Board, after considering the evidence on H
1094 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2016] 2 S.C.R.

A record came to the conclusion that the d.ate of birth, as recorded in
various School Certificates, submitted by the father of the appellant-
accused on his behalf, is doubtful and the juvenile was referred to the
Medical Board for determination of age.
(f) On 23.08.2011, the Office of the Chief Medical Officer, Meerut,
B opined that the age of the appellant-accused is about 19 years. The
charge sheet in the case was filed on 07.09.2011 before the Court of
Juvenile Justice Board (in short 'the Board'), Meerut. The Board, placing
reliance on the opinion ofthe Medical Board, vide order dated 07.09.2011,
held that the appellant-accused is a major and accordingly, transferred
C the case before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Gautambudh Nagar.
(g)Aggrievedby the order dated 07.09.2011, the appellant-accused
preferred an appeal before the District & Sessions Judge, Meerut by
filing Criminal Appeal No. 319 of 2011. Learned Additional Sessions
Judge, Meerut, vide order dated 04.10.2011, dismissed the appeal filed
by the appellant-accused.
D
(h) Being aggrieved by the orders dated 07.09.2011and04.10.2011,
the appellant-accused preferred a revision before the High Court. Learned
Single Judge of the Allahabad High Court, vide judgment and order dated
24.05.2013, dismissed the revision filed by the appellant-accused.
E (i) Aggrieved by the order dated 24.05.2013, the appellant-accused
has preferred this appeal by way of special leave before this Court.
4. Heard the arguments advanced by Dr. V. P. Appan, learned
senior counsel forthe appellant-accused and Mr. R. Dash, learned senior
counsel for the State and perused the records.
F Points for consideration:
5. The only point for consideration before this Court is whether in
the facts and circumstances of the present case when the date of birth
mentioned in the matriculation certificate is doubtful, the ossification test
can be the last resort to prove the juvenility of the accused?
G Rival Submissions:
6. Dr. V. P. Appan, learned senior counsel appearing for the
appellant-accused contended before this Court that the appellant-accused
was arrested on 05.07.2011 and produced before the Juvenile Court and
was remanded and kept in Juvenile Home. The father of the appellant-
H accused filed an application before the Board stating that the date of
PARAG BHAT! (JUVENILE) TH. LEGALGUARDIAN-MOTHER-SMT. 1095
RAJNI BHAT! v. STATE OF U. P. [R. K.AGARWAL, J.)

birth of the appellant-accused is 13.09.1995. He supported his claim by A
producing a copy of the Secondary School Certificate for Class Xth
issued by the Controller of Examinations of Secondary School Examination
(Session 2009-2011) wherein the date of birth of the appellant-accused
was shown to be 13 .09.1995 and on the date of occurrence, i.e., on
29.06.2011, he had not attained majority or was below 18 years of age.
B
It was further contended by learned senior counsel that the appellant-
accused studied from Class I" to 5'" in the Saint Joseph School, Greater
Noida. He studied in Class 6• and 7'' in Kisan VaidikJunior High School.
Though the date of birth is wrongly mentioned in the records therein as
17.09.1994, affidavit for correction of the same had been filed with the
competent authority. Learned senior counsel for the appellant-accused c
further contended that the procedure for determination of the age is to
be followed in terms of Section 7A of the Juvenile Justice (Care and
Protection of Children) Act, 2000 (in short 'the JJ Act') which was not
scrupulously adhered to. The courts below should have acted on the
certificate issued by the ControllerofExaminations, Secondary School
D
Examination wherein the date ofbirth of the appellant-accused is recorded
as 13.09.1995. Learned senior counsel further stressed upon the fact
that the entry relating to the date of birth entered in the marks sheet.is
one of the valid proofs of evidence for determination of age of a person.
Finally, learned senior counsel contended thatthe Board committed grave
illegality in directing the ossification test of the appellant-accused for ·E
determining the age on the face ofundisputed certificates issued by the
two.schools wherefrom it is clear that the date of birth of the appellant-
accused is 13.09.1995.
7. In support of his claim, learned senior counsel for the appellant-
accused relied upon a decision of this Court in Rajinder Cft~ndra vs. F
State ofCftftattisgarlz and Another (2002) 2 SCC 287, wherein it was
held as under:-
"5 .... on a review ofjudicial opinion, held that while dealing with
the question of determination of the age of the accused for the
purpose of finding out whether he is a juvenile or not, a G
hypertechnical approach should not be adopted while appreciating
the evidence adduced on behalfofthe accused in support of the
plea that he was a juvenile and if two views may be possible on
the said evidence, the court should lean in favour of holding the
accused to be a juvenile in borderline cases ..... "
H
1096 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2016] 2 S.C.R.

A 8. He further relied upon a decision of this Court in Hari Ram vs.
State of Ro]ostlwn & A11other (2009) 13 SCC 211 in which it was held
as follows:-
"27. Sub-rules (4) and (5) of Rule 12 are of special significance
in that they provide that once the age of a juvenile or child in
B conflict with law is found to be less than 18 years on the date of
offence on the basis of any proof specified in sub-rule (3) the
court or the Board or as the case may be the Child Welfare
Committee appointed under Chapter IV of the Act, has to pass a
written order stating the age of the juvenile or stating the status of
the juvenile, and no further inquiry is to be conducted by the court
c or Board after examining and obtaining any other documentary
proof referred to in sub-rule (3) of Rule 12. Rule 12, therefore,
indicates the procedure to be followed to give effect to the
provisions of Section 7-A when a claim ofjuvenility is raised."
9. Further, reliance was placed upon Ashwm1i Kumar Soxe110
D vs. Stole of Modhyo Pradesh (2012) 9 SCC 750.
IO. While referring to a decision of this Court in Molwdeo s/o
Kerba Maske vs. State of Mohoroshtro and Another (2013) 14 SCC
637, learned senior counsel submitted that only in the absence of
alternative methods described under Rules (12)(3)(a)(i) to (iii), the medical
E opinion can be sought for and in no other case. He further relied upon a
decision of this Court in the State ofMadhya Pradesh vs. Anoop Singh
(2015) 7 SCC 773 and contended that the decision in the case of M"luuleo
(supra) has been followed.
11. On the other hand, Shri R. Dash, learned senior counsel for
F the State submitted that in the Secondary School Examination Certificate,
the date of birth mentioned is 13.09.1995 but this date of birth is not
correct. In the statement given by the father of the appellant-accused
before the Board that the appellant-accused studied in Saint Joseph
School, Greater Noida from I" to 5'" standard, the date of birth mentioned
G in the school form is 13.09.1996 and it bears father's signature. Thereafter,
he studied in Kisan Vaidic Junior High School, Latifpurwherein the date
of birth is recorded as 17.09.1994. After leaving this school, the appellant-
accused again took admission in Saint Joseph School in 8'" standard.
Learned senior counsel for the State submitted that a report from the
Saint Joseph School was produced before the Board irr which it was
H mentioned that his date of birth was recorded in the register on the basis
PARAG BHAT! (JUVENILE) TH. LEGALGUARDIAN-MOTHER-SMT. 1097
RAJNI BHATlv. STATEOFU. P. [R. K.AGARWAL,J.]

of transfer certificate issued by Kisan Vaidic Junior High School. An A
official of the Kisan Vaidic Junior High School was examined before the
Board who stated on oath that the appellant-accused never studied in
that school and the alleged certificate was not issued by the School
authorities. Learned senior counsel for the State further contended that
since the transfer certificate on the basis of which entries were made in
B
Saint Joseph School was not found to be genuine, the date of birth
mentioned in the Secondary School Certificate was also not at all reliable.
12. In support of his claim, learned senior counsel relied upon a
decision in Om Prakusft vs. Stute of Rujustlum und Another (2012) 5
sec 201 wherein it was held as under:-
c
"22. It is no doubt true that ifthere is a clear and unambiguous
case in favour of the juvenile accused that he was a minor below
the age of 18 years on the date of the incident and the documentary
evidence at least prima facie proves the same, he would be entitled
forth is special protection under the Juvenile Justice Act. But when
an accused commits a grave and heinous offence and thereafter D
attempts to take statutory shelter under the guise of being a minor,
a casual or cavalier approach while recording as to whether an
accused is a juvenile or not cannot be permitted as the courts are
enjoined upon to perform their duties with the object of protecting
the confidence of common man in the institution entrusted with E
the administration ofjustice.
23. Hence, while the courts must be sensitive in dealing with the
juvenile who is involved in cases of serious nature like sexual
molestation, rape, gang rape, murder and host of other offences,
the accused cannot be allowed to abuse the statutory protection
F
by attempting to prove himself as a minor when the documentary
evidence to prove his minority gives rise to a reasonable doubt
about his assertion of minority. Under such circumstance, the
medical evidence based on scientific investigation will have to be
given due weight and precedence over the evidence based on
school administration records which give rise to hypothesis and G
speculation about the age of the accused. The matter however
would stand on a different footing if the academic certificates
and school records are alleged to have been withheld deliberately
with ulterior motive and authenticity of the medical evidence is
under challenge by the prosecution."
H
1098 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2016] 2 S.C.R.

A 13. Learned senior counsel further referred to a decision in Abuzar
Hossain alias Gu/am Hossain .vs. State of West Bengal (2012) 10
SCC 489, wherein a three-Judge Bench of this Court had summarized
the position for determining the juvenility of an accused. In para 39.3 of
the judgment, it has been held as under:-
B "39.3. As to what materials would prima facie satisfy the court
and/or are sufficient for discharging the initial burden cannot be
catalogued nor can it be laid down as to what weight should be
given to a specific piece of evidence which may be sufficient to
raise presumption of juvenility but the documents referred to in
Rules 12(3)(a)(i) to (iii) shall definitely be sufficient for prima
c facie satisfaction of the court about the age of the delinquent
necessitating further enquiry under Rule 12. The statement
recorded under Section 313 of the Code is too tentative and may
not by itself be sufficient ordinarily to justify or reject the claim of
juvenility. The credibility and/or acceptability of the documents
D like the school leaving certificate or the voters' list, etc. obtained
after conviction would depend on the facts and circumstances of
each case and no hard-and-fast rule can be prescribed that they
must be prima facie accepted or rejected. In Akbar Sheikh and
Pawan these documents were not found prima facie credible while
in Jitendra Singh the documents viz. school leaving certificate,
E marksheet and the medical report were treated sufficient for
directing an inquiry and verification of the appellant's age. If such
documents prima facie inspire confidence of the court, the court
may act upon such documents for the purposes of Section 7-A
and order an enquiry for determination of the age of the
F delinquent."
14. He further stated that in view of the documents produced by
the father of the appellant-accused and the statement given by the
concerned school, the date of birth of the appellant-accused is
unsubstantiated, therefore, the Board rightly directed for conducting the
G ossification test of the appellant-accused. Learned senior counsel for
the State finally submitted that the Court of Sessions as well as High
Court rightly rejected the claim of the appellant-accused.
Statutory Provisions: ·
15. In view of the above, it is useful to refer certain relevant
H provisions of the JJ Act which are as under:-
PARAG BHAT! (JUVENILE) TH. LEGALGUARDIAN-MOTHER-SMT. 1099
RAJNI BHAT! v. STATE OF U. P. [R. K.AGARWAL, J.]

"2. Definition.- A
(k) "juvenile" or "child means a person who has not completed
eighteenth year of age;
(I) 'juvenile in conflict with law" means a juvenile who is alleged
to have committed an offence and has not completed eighteenth
year of age as on the date of commission of such offence; B

"[7A. Procedure to be followed when claim of juvenility is
raised before any court.-( 1) Whenever a claim of juvenility is
raised before any court or a court is of the opinion that an accused
person was a juvenile on the date of commission of the offence,
the court shall make an inquiry, take such evidence as may be c
necessary (but not an affidavit) so as to determine the age of
such person, and shall record a finding whethe_r the person is a
juvenile or a child or not, stating his age as nearly as may be:
Provided that a claim ofjuvenility may be raised before any court
and it shall be recognized at any stage, even after final disposal of D
the case, and such claim shall be determined in terms of the
provisions coiltained in this Act and the rules made thereunder,
even if the juvenile has ceased to be so on or before the date of
commencement of this Act.
(2) If the court finds a person to be a juvenile on the date of E
commission of the offence under sub-section ( 1), it shall forward
the juvenile to the Board for passing appropriate orders and
sentence, if any, passed by a court shall be deemed to have no
effect.]"
Juvenile Jnstice (Care and Protection) Rnles, 2007 F
"12. Procedure to be followed in determination of age.- (I)
In every case concerning a child or a juvenile in conflict with law,
the court or the Board or as the case may be the Committee
referred to in rule 19 of these rules shall. determine the age of
such juvenile or child or a juvenile in conflict with law within a G
period of thirty days from the date of making of the application
for that purpose.
(2) The Court or the Board or as the case may be the Committee
shall decide the juvenility or otherwise of the juvenile or the child
or as the case may be the juvenile in conflict with law, prima facie H
1100 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2016] 2 S.C.R.

A on the basis of physical appearance or documents, if available,
and send him to the observation home or in jail.
(3) In every case concerning a child or juvenile in conflict with
law, the age determination inquiry shall be conducted by the court
or the Board or, as the case may be, the Committee by seeking
B evidence by obtaining-
(a) (i) the matriculation or equivalent certificates, if available; and
in the absence whereof;
(ii) the date of birth certificate from the school (other than a play
school) first attended; and in the absence whereof:
c
(iii) the birth certificate given by a corporation or a municipal
authority or a panchayat;
(b) and only in the absence of either (i), (ii) or (iii) of clause (a)
above, the medical opinion will be sought from a duly constituted
Medical Board, which will declare the age of the juvenile or child.
D
In case exact assessment of the age cannot be done, the Court or
the Board or, as the case may be, the Committee, for the reasons
to be recorded by them may, if considered necessary, give benefit
to the child or juvenile by considering his/her age on lower side
within the margin of one year.
E
and, while passing orders in such case shall, after taking into
consideration such evidence as may be available, or the medical
opinion, as the case may be, record a finding in respect of his age
and either of the evidence specified in any of the clauses (a) (i),
(ii), (iii) or in the absence whereof, clause (b) shall be the conclusive
F proof of the age as regards such child or the juvenile in conflict
with law.
(4) If the age ofajuvenile or child or the juvenile in conflict with
law is found to be below 18 years on the date of offence, on the
basis of any of the conclusive proof specified in sub-rule(3 ), the
G Court or the Board or as the case may be the Committee shall in
writing pass an order stating the age and declaring the status of
juvenility or otherwise, for the purpose of the Act and these rules
and a copy of the order shall be given to such juvenile or the
person concerned.

H (5) Save and except where, further inquiry or otherwise is required,
PARAG BHAT! (JUVENILE) TH. LEGALGUARDIAN-MOTHER-SMT. 1101
RAJNI BHAT! v. STATEOFU. P. [R. K.AGARWAL,J.]

inter al ia in terms of Section 7A, Section 64 of the Act and these A
rules, no further inquiry shall be conducted by the court or the
Board after examining and obtaining the certificate or any other
documentary proof referred to in sub-rule (3) of this rule.
(6) The provisions contained in this rule shall also apply to those
disposed of cases, where the status of juvenility has not been B
determined in accordance with the provisions contained in sub-
rule (3) and the Act, requiring dispensation ofihe sentence under
the Act for passing appropriate order in the interest of the juvenile
in conflict with law."
16. From a reading of the aforementioned statutory provisions, c
it is clear that under Section 7A of the JJ Act, the court is enjoined to
make an inquiry and take such evidence as may be necessary to determine
the age of the persOI\ who claims to be a juvenile. However, under Rule
12, the Board is enjoined to take evidence by obtaining the matriculation
certificate if available, and in its absence, the date of birth certificate
from the school first attended and if it is also not available then the birth D
certificate given by the local body. In case any of the above certificates
are not available then medical opinion can be resorted to. However, if
the Board comes to the conclusion that the date of birth mentioned in the
matriculation certificate raises some doubt on the basis of material or
evidence on record, it can seek medical opinion from a duly constituted E
medical board to determine the age of the accused person claiming
juvenility.
17. It is also pertinent to mention here the order passed by the
Chief Medical Officer, Meerut with regard to the age of the appellant-
accused which reads as under:- F
"OFFICE OF THE CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, MEERUT
No. M.7/CM0/11-7939
Dared: 23.08.11
AGE CERTIFICATE
Certified that I examined Sh. Parag Bhati S/o Anil Bhati Rio C- G
16, Swarn Nagar, Greater Noida, P.S. Kasna, Gautambudh Nagar,
U.P. brought by /identified Ct. 506 Kiranpal Singh, Police Line,
Meerut ..... referred by .... for ascertaining his/her present age
required for the purposes of Juvenile Justice Board, Meerut vide
his letter No./endorsement No. .. ............. dated
H
1102 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2016] 2 S.C.R .

A . . . . .. .. .. . .. .. .. Sh. Parag Bhati states that his/her age is about 16
years at present. He brought no documentary evidence to
substantiate his age. He also states that he has not obtained any
certificate from anywhere about his age. On examination: Height
171 Cms., Weight 56 Kgs., Teeth 15/16 permanent.
B Tiny Black mole on latral aspect of middle bhelants of left
Iittle finger.
On X-ray Examination Plate No. 10569170/71172 dated 08.08.11
done at P.L. Sharma Hospital, Meerut (report given by Dr. Deepak
Saxena) Senior Radiologist P.L. Sharma Hospital, Meerut)
Shows:-
c
!. XR ( l) elbow, ® knee- All epiphyses around the joints are
fused.
2. XR (L) wrist-epiphyses of lower end ofradious and ulna are
fused visible sear.
3. XR ® Clavide medical end-epiphysesaroundjoints is not fused.
0
Opinion: on the basis of the above, general appearance and physical
built I am of the opinion that the age of Shri Parag Bhati is about
19 years.
Chief Medical .Officer"
18. The only question to be determined is whether the appellant-
E
accused was juvenile ornot on the date ofoccurrence, i.e., 29.06.2011.
From the documents on record, it is seen that the father of the appellant-
accused submitted an application stating that his son passed High School
examination from Vishwa Bharti Public School, Greater Naida and as
per the school records his date of birth is 13.09.1995. It was further
F informed that the appellant-accused studied from Class I" to 5'" in Saint
Joseph School, Greater Naida and studied Class 6'h and 7'h in Kisan
Vaidik Junior High School, Latifpur. Again in Class-8'". he studied in
Saint Joseph School. Though the date of birth mentioned in the records
of the above school is 17.09.1994, the father of the appellant claimed it
to be wrong and submitted that an affidavit had been filed for its
G correction. During cross-examination, it was further admitted that the
date of birth in the transfer certificate ofKisan Vaidik Junior High School
is recorded as 17 .09.1994 whereas it is recorded as 13 .09.1996 in the
Saint Joseph School. In this manner, the date of birth of the appellant-
accused is 13.09.1995 in the records of the High School and 17.09.1994
H is mentioned in the records ofKisan Vaidik Junior High School. If the
PARAG BHAT! (JUVENILE) TH. LEGALGUARDIAN-MOTHER-SMT. 1103
RAJNI BHAT! v. STATE OF U. P. [R. K.AGARWAL, J.)

date of birth mentioned in such certificate is proved wrong then it cannot A
be relied upon.
19. This fact is further corroborated with the affidavit filed by the
State which reads as under:-
"9. That the father of the petitioner filed an application before the
Juvenile Justice Board stating therein that the date of birth of the B
petitioner is 13.09.1995. The application on behalfofthe petitioner
for declaring him juvenile was supported with the following
documents along with affidavit of his father.
(i) The Secondary School Certificate for class X issued by
Controller of Examinations of Secondary School Examination for c
the year (2009-2011 ), where the date of birth is mentioned as
13.09.1995.
(ii) The petitioner Uuvenile) had studied from class I to 5 in Saint
Joseph School, where his date of birth is mentioned as 13.09.1996.
And the form bears the signature of his father. D
(iii) The petitioner date of birth in Transfer Certificate ofKisan
VaidikJunior High School is also mentioned as 17.9.1994.
(iv) The petitioner Uuvenile) alleges to had studied upto class VI
in Aster Public School, JA-1, Silver Oak estate, Delta-II, Greater
Noida. In the registration form of this school, the date of birth is E
mentioned as 13.09.1995.
That while considering the aforesaid documents the Juvenile
Justice Board came on the conclusion as follows :-
a. In the evidence Smt. Jyotsana Bhati, Principal, Arayans
F
Academy, Mandi Shyam Nagar was summoned according to her
statement Parag Bhati never studied in their school. However, it
has been mentioned in the column No. 14 ofT.C. ofKisan Vaidik
Junior High School, that earlier institute of Parag Bhati was Aryans
Academy Mandi Shyam Nagar. Similarly, Manohar Lal Sharma,
C. W. 03, Assistant Teac her, Kisan Vaidik Junior High School, G
Latifpur has stated in his statement that the Transfer Certificate
available at the case file was not issued by their school and the
same is forged. Parag Bhati never studied in their school.
b. Smt. Rachna D/o Devender, Principal of Saint Joseph School
has sent a certificate in writing according to which Parag Bhati H
1104 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2016] 2 S.C.R.

A has studied in their school from 04.04.2008 to April 2009 only.
Before that, he never studied in their school. However, Anil Bhati
father of the juvenile has stated in his statement that he has studied
in Saint Joseph School from class I to 5.
c. Therefore, on the basis of documents available at the case file,
B date of birth of Parag Bhati is mentioned 13.09.1995 in the
documents of High School and 17.09.1994 is mentioned in the
document of Kisan Vedic Junior High School. On 30.08.2011, the
board, has conducted proceedings to register case against Anil
Bhati for producing forged evidence and giving false statement
before the Hon'ble Chief Judicial Magistrate, Meerut.
c
In view of the above facts and circumstances of the case, all the
documents before class 1O" produced on behalf of applicant are
forged."
20. The Board summoned Smt. Jyotsana Bhati, Principal, Aryans
D Academy Mandi Sh yam Nagar and she stated that the appellant-accused
never studied in their school. It may be mentioned here that in Column
No. 14 of Transfer Certificate ofVaidik Junior High School, the name of
the earlier institute attended was Aryans Academy Mandi, Shayam Nagar.
Shri Manohar Lal Sharma, Assistant Teacher, Kisan Vaidik Junior High
School, Latifpur was also summoned who stated on solemn affirmation
E that the transfer certificate available in the case file was not issued by
the school and that is forged as the appellant-accused never studied in
their school. Similarly, the Principal, Saint Joseph School, sent a
certificate in writing stating therein thatthe appellant-accused had studied
in their school from 04.04.2008 to April, 2009 only and before that he
F never studied in their school.
21. As the date of birth which is alleged to have been recorded in
Saint Joseph School is on the basis of the transfer certificate issued by
the Kisan Vaidik Junior High School, Latifpur and such transfer certificate
has been found to be forged, therefore, the Board came to the conclusion
G that the date of birth mentioned in the certificate issued by the Secondary
School Examination mentioning it as 13.09.1995 on the basis ofVishwa
Bharti Public School, Greater Naida cannot be believed. It may also be
mentioned here that the date of birth which was recorded in Vishwa
Bharti Public School, Greter Naida was on the basis of the date of birth
recorded in Saint Joseph School and the date of birth recorded in the
H Saint Joseph School had been found to be without having any basis. On
PARAG BHAT! (JUVENILE) TH. LEGALGUARDIAN-MOTHER-SMT. 1105
RAJNI BHAT! v. STATEOFU. P. [R. K.AGARWAL,J.]

30.08.2011, the Board, on merits, conducted proceedings to register case A
against Anil Bhati-father of the appellant-accused for producing forged
evidence and giving false statement before the Court which fact has
already been proved thatthe documents which were produced on behalf
of the appellant-accused were forged.
22. Due to this discrepancy, the Medical of the appellant-accused B
got conducted by the Medical Board wherein on 23.08.2011, his age
was assessed about 19 years and the Board fixed the age of the appellant-
accused as 18 years, I 0 months and 6 days and he was ordered to be
tried by the Session Court. The Board did not give the benefit of one
year as provided in Rule 12 of the Rules in favour of the appellant-
accused on the ground that the complainant-Respondent No. 2 herein c
had filed the photocopy of Panchayat Electoral Roll 2009 Development
Block Dankaur, according to which, the age on 01.01.2009 has been
mentioned as 19 years and the date of the incident is 29.06.2011.
Therefore, the Board rightly did not give the benefit of one year to the
appellant-accused under the Rules. D
23. We may also mention here that before this Court, an entirely
new case has been set up by the appellant-accused that he studied up to
Class 6'h in Aster Public School, Greater Noida, and thereafter, in
Mussoorie Modern School, Mussoorie and lastly studied for Class 9'h
and I Q•h in Vishwa Bharti Public School, Greater Noida. The plea that E
the appellant-accused studied in Aster Public School and Mussoorie
Modern School was never raised before the Board for reasons best
known and the appellant cannot take advantage of a new case being set
up before this Court for determination of age under the JJ Act.
24. While considering a similar question, this Court in Asltwani F
Kumar (supra) held as under:-
"32. "Age determination inquiry" contemplated under Section 7-
A of the Act read with Rule 12 of the 2007 Rules enables the
court to seek evidence and in that process, the court can obtain
the matriculation or equivalent certificates, if available. Only in G
the absence of any matriculation or equivalent certificates, the
court needs to obtain the date of birth certificate from the school
first attended other than a play school. Only in the absence of
matriculation or equivalent certificate or the date of birth certificate
from the school first attended, the court needs to obtain the birth
certificate given by a corporation or a municipal authority or a H
1106 SUPREME COURT REPORTS (2016) 2 S.C.R.

A panchayat (not an affidavit but certificates or documents). The
question of obtaining medical opinion from a duly constituted
Medical Board arises only ifthe abovementioned documents are
unavailable. In case exact assessment of the age cannot be done,
then the court, for reasons to be recorded, may, if considered
necessary, give the benefit to the child or juvenile by considering
B
his or her age on lower side within the margin of one year.
33. Once the court. following the above mentioned procedures,
passes an order, that order shall be the conclusive proof of the
age as regards such child or juvenile in conflict with law. It has
been made clear in sub-rule (5) of Rule 12 that no further inquiry
c shall be conducted by the court or the Board after examining and
obtaining the .:·crtificate or any other documentary proof after
referring to sub-rule (3) of Rule 12. Further, Section 49 of the JJ
Act also draws a presumption of the age of the juvenility on its
determination.
D 34. Age determination inquiry contemplated under the JJ Act and
the 2007 Rules has nothing to do with an enquiry under other
legislations, like entry in service, retirement, promotion, etc. There
may be situations where the entry made in the matriculation or
equivalent certificates, date of birth certificate from the school
E first attended and even the birth certificate given by a corporation
or a municipal authority or a panchayat may not be correct. But
court, Juvenile Justice Board or a committee functioning under
the JJ Act is not expected to conduct such a roving enquiry and to
go behind those certificates to examine the correctness of those
documents, kept during the normal course of business. Only in
F cases where those documents or certificates are found to be
fabricated or manipulated. the court. the Juvenile Justice Board
or the committee need to go for medical report for age
determination.
(emphasis supplied by us)
G
25. In Abuzar Hossllin (supra!. wherein a three-Judge Bench of
this Court has already summarized the position regarding what materials
would primafacie satisfy the court and/or are sufficient for discharging
the initial burden cannot be catalogued nor can it be laid down as to what
weight should be given to a specific piece of evidence which may be
H sufficient to raise presumption ofjuvenility but the documents referred
PARAG BHAT! (JUVENILE) TH. LEGALGUARDIAN-MOTHER-SMT. 1107
RAJ NI BHAT! v. STATE OF U. P. [R. K.AGARWAL,J.]

to in Rules I 2(3)(a)(i) to (iii) shall definitely be sufficient for prima A
facie satisfaction of the court about the age orthe delinquent necessitating
further enquiry under Rule 12. The cred-ibility and/or acceptability of the
documents would depend on the facts and ci.rcumstances of each case
and no hard-and-fast rule can be prescribed that they must be prima
facie accepted or rejected and if such documents prima .facie inspire
B
confidence of the court, the court may act upon such documents for the
purposes of Section 7-A and order an enquiry for determination of the
age of the appellant.
26. It is no doubt true that if there is a clear and unambiguous
case in favour of the juvenile accused that he was a minor below the
age of 18 years on the date of the incident and the documentary evidence
c
at least primafacie proves the same, he would be entitled to the special
protection under the JJ Act. But when an accused commits a grave and
heinous offence and thereafter attempts to take statutory shelter under
the guise of being a minor, a casual or cavalier approach while recording
as to whether an accused is a juvenile or not cannot be permitted as the D
courts are enjoined upon to perform their duties with the object of
protecting the confidence of common man in the institution entrusted
with the administration ofjustice.
27. The benefit of the principle of benevolent legislation attached
to the JJ Act would thus apply to only such cases wherein the accused is E
held to be a juvenile on the basis of at least prima facie evidence
regarding his minority as the benefit of the possibilities of two views in
regard to the age of the alleged accused who is involved in grave and
serious offence which he committed and gave effect to it in a well-
planned manner reflecting his maturity of mind rather than innocence
indicating that his plea ofjuvenility is more in the nature ofa shield to F
dodge or dupe the arms of law, cannot be allowed to come to his rescue.
28. It is settled position oflaw that ifthe matriculation or equivalent
certificates are available and there is no other material to prove the
correctness, the date of birth mentioned in the matriculation certificate
has to be treated as a conclusive proof of the date of birth of the accused. G
However, if there is any doubt or a contradictory stand is being taken by
the accused which raises a doubt on the correctness of the date of birth
then as laid down by this Court in Ab11wr Hoss(lbt (s11pm), an enquiry
for determination of the age of the accused is permissible which has
been done in the present case. H
1108 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2016] 2 S.C.R.

A 29. In view of the foregoing discussion, we do not find any illegality
in the orders passed by the Board and the Court of Sessions and also of
the High Court which requires our interference.
30. The appeal fails and is accordingly dismissed.
Nidhi Jain Appeal dis1nissed.
B