GH HASSAN MIR Vs. STATE

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THIS revision petition is directed against the order of the Sessions Judge, Srinagar, dated 27th May, 1981 whereby he rejected the prayer of the petitioner to be treated in accordance with the provisions of Section 20/24 of the Children Act.

(2.) IT transpires from the record that for an occurrence which took place on 17 -2 -81, a challan was produced before the Judicial Magistrate, Ganderbal for offences under sections 302/307/323/354/148/ 149 RPC against the petitioner and four others. The learned Judicial Magistrate committed the said case for trial to the Sessions Court at Srinagar. In the Sessions Court, an application was moved on behalf of the petitioner with the prayer that since he is a child, as defined under the Children Act 1970 his case be separated and he be tried by the Children Act 2970 his case be separated and he be tried by the Children Court. In support of that application, a School Leaving Certificate showing the date of birth of the petitioner as 1 -4 -65 was submitted before the Sessions Court. The learned Sessions Judge, however, rejected the prayer primarily on the ground that on the date when the order of commitment was made as also on the date when the charges were to be framed, the petitioner was more than 16 years of age and hence the provisions of Sections 20 and 24 of the Children Act were not attracted.

(3.) MR . Z. A. Qureshi, learned counsel for the petitioner has submitted that the view expressed by the Sessions Judge that the relevant date of declaring whether an accused is a child or not is the date at the time of commitment or the framing of charge and not the date on which the offence was committed, is an erroneous view.