Top court asks Swamy to inform Juvenile board to defer verdict

The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy to inform the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) not to pronounce its verdict on the juvenile, alleged to have been involved in brutal gangrape of a paramedical girl on 16 December, till it decides the petition seeking fresh interpretation of the term juvenile. Swamy, in his petition, has said that the mental and intellectual maturity should be considered instead of age limit of 18 years for such offenders while fixing their culpability.

A bench headed by Chief Justice P Sathasivam, asking Swamy to inform the Juvenile Justice Board on it, posted the matter for further hearing on 14 August. The court said that the issue raised in the petition needs to be examined along with maintainability of the plea.