BIJENDER SINGH vs STATE OF HARYANA

The Supreme Court ruled that the respondent, who was over 16 years old at the time of the alleged offences under Sections 302, 364, 201 read with Sections 34 and 120B IPC, is not entitled to the benefits of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000, as the offences were committed before the Act came into force on 01.04.2001. The Court emphasized that the relevant law is the one in effect at the time of the offence, which was the Juvenile Justice Act, 1986, under which the respondent was not considered a juvenile. The appeal was allowed, reversing the lower court's decision to apply the 2000 Act.