JYOTI PRAKASH RAI @ JYOTI PRAKASH vs STATE OF BIHAR

The Supreme Court ruled that the appellant, accused under Section 302 IPC for murder, was not a juvenile at the time of the offense as he was found to be between 18 to 19 years old by two medical boards. The Court held that the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000, which defines a juvenile as under 18 years, does not apply since the appellant had crossed this age by the time the Act came into force. Consequently, the Court upheld the lower court's decision to treat him as an adult for sentencing purposes.