ASHOK KUMAR MEHRA vs THE STATE OF PUNJAB

The Supreme Court upheld the conviction of Kushwant Kumar Mehra under Section 302 read with Section 34 IPC for the murder of Inderjit Dhiman, reversing the High Court's decision that had convicted both him and his deceased father. The Court noted that Kushwant was a juvenile at the time of the offence, thus entitled to the protections under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000. The appeal of Ashok Kumar Mehra was dismissed as abated due to his death, while the appeal of Kushwant Kumar was allowed based on established legal principles regarding juvenile offenders.