2ndThel

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MOOTPROPOSI
TION
1)Ransom, apoorboywhol i
vedinaslum i ntheout ski
rt
soft heci tyofPradainthe
Republ i
cofIndiana.Hestudiedinagov ernmentf undedschool named, RavindraSchool
upt oSixthStandardbutthenhedr oppedoutofschool andsi ncet hen,hehasbeeni n
theempl oymentofMr .R.Singhalfordoinghi shouseholdandot heralli
edchores.Mr.
Singhalli
vesinAnandVi harSociet
yi nthecityofPr ada.Ransom l i
v esinthequarter
providedbyMr .Singhal
.Ithasbeen6y ear ssincehisempl oyment .Mr .R.Singhalhad
twochi l
dren,aboynamedGaur av,aged18y earsandagi rlnamedVai shali
,aged16
years.BothVaishali&Gauravt r
eatedRansom i nacondescendi ngmanner ,
theyinsul
ted
him ont r
ivi
almat t
ers.

2)Oneday ,Peteraged17y earsand7mont hs, sonofMr .Saxena,neighborofMr .

Singhal
,waspl ay i
ngsoccerinthesoci etypark.Gaur av&Vaishal
i werejoggingt hereas
perthei
rrout i
ne.Pet er&Gauravhadani mosit
ysi ncechil
dhood.Whi l
epl ay
ingsoccer ,
thefootbal
l hi
tov ertheheadofVai shaliwhichgav eherami norheadi nj
ury.Ov erthis,
Gauravstartedver ball
yabusi
ngPet er,thisl
eadt oaheat edquarrelbetweent het wo.
ThisprovokedGaur avtogiv
ePet erabl owbutsuddenl yMr.Mehtaanot herneighbor
cameandr esolvedt hequar
rel.

3)Thenanot herday,Ransom wasbr ingi

nggroceri
es, whenher eachedi nthev i
cini
tyof
thesociety,
hecameacr ossGauravwhoaskedhi m whet herhebr oughthis(Gaur av’
s)
thi
ngsornot .Ransom said,“I
twasnotav ai
labl
eint hemar ket
.”Ont his,Gauravstarted
i
nsulti
nghi minpublic.Onsev er
aloccasi
ons,Vaishalialsov er
ballyabused&t orment ed
himinpubl i
caboutwhi chRansom compl ai
nedtoMr s.Singhaltowhi chshepai dno
heed.Onet i
me, whil
eGaur avwasinsulti
ngRansom i nthesoci etydoor way;Petersaw
thi
s&af terGauravleft,
Petertookthi
soppor t
uni
tytot alktoRansom.Bot hsharedthe
hatr
edf orGaurav&Vai shali
.

4)On7thMar ch,2015,Ransom tookleavefor3Day sfrom wor kforgoi

ngtohisvi
ll
age
wit
hthepermissionofMr .Singhal.On8thMarch,2015,Mr .Singhall
eftt
oattenda
busi
nessseminarinanot hercit
y.AsitwasSunday ,Mrs.Singhalhadplannedtogotoa
pai
nti
ngexhibi
tionwithherf amil
ybutduet oMr.Singhal’
swor kshedecidedtogoalong
wit
hherchil
dren.Ransom hadpr i
orknowledgeregardi
ngit.

5)At7:30p.m.on8thMar ch,
2015,Mrs.Si
nghalreachedt heexhibi
ti
onwhi chwas
l
ocatedintheremote&desolatepar
toftheci
tyofPr ada.Theor gani
zerofexhibi
ti
on
wasMr s.Si
nghal’
scol
legefri
endsosheengagedwi thher.Meanwhi l
e,around8:30p.
m.,
Vai
shaliwastakenbyfourpersons&Gauravsensedt hathissi
sterwasmi ssing,
and

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thenhest art
edsearchingher .Whi lesearching,her eachedt hebasementwher ehesaw
twoguy swer eti
ghtl
yhol dinghi ssist
erandt heot hert wower et ryingtooutrageher
modest ybytearingoffhercl othes.WhenGaur avt ri
edt osav ehi ssister
,oneoft hem
gav eablowbyar odonhi shead&sev eralblowsov erhisabdomenduet owhi chhef el
l
unconscious.WhenVai shalitr
iedtoscr eam, hermout hwasf or cefull
yshutandi na
suddenhast eshewasst rangulated.WhenVai shalifelldead,all ofthefourpersonsfled
away .Around9:30p. m.,theguar dwhocamei ntoswi t
chof fthel ight
sofbasement
discoveredtwobodi esandt her eonthecasewasr eportedtot henear bypolicestati
on,
thepolicearri
vedandt hebodi eswer esentf ormedi calexami nat i
on.

6)On10thMarch,
2015, theinvesti
gati
ngoffi
cerarr
estedPeterontheinf
ormati
onof
Ram ManoharwhosawPet ersneakingoutofthebasementont heni
ghtof8thMarch,
2015.On12thMarch,2015, I
nvesti
gati
ngOffi
cerarr
estedRansom alongwit
hPhill
i
ps,
aged17years&Arther,
aged17y earswhower ePeter
’sfr
iends.

7)Thepostmort
em r
eportr
eveal
edthatGauravdiedduetoheadinjury&int
ernal
bleedi
ngandVai
shal
idi
edduet osuf
focat
ioncausedbystrangul
ation.Hercl
otheswer
e
torn&themedi
calr
eportal
soreveal
edthepresenceofsever
alscratches&inj
uri
eson
herbody.

8)Thecasewasadmi t
tedtotheJuv eni
l
eBoar dasall
theboyswer ebelow18y ear
sof
age.On15t hMay ,2015,theJuvenil
eBoardfoundPeter&Ransom t obewellawareof
theci
rcumst ances&consequencesoft heiract
sand,ther
efor
e,thei
rcasewas
commi t
tedt otheSessionCourtfindi
ngthem capaxofcommitti
ngof f
ence.I
nadditi
on
totheabov ereason,Ransom’scasewasal socommi t
tedtoSessionsCourtdueto
i
nsuffi
ciencyoftheev i
denceofage.

9)Theparent
sofdeceasedstart
edprotestt
otryal
l t
hejuvenil
esinconfli
ctwithl
awas
adul
tsduetotheirhei
nousactofbr
utall
ykil
l
ingbothoftheirchi
ldr
enr at
herthanl
ike
minor
sjustbecausethei
ragefel
lshortof18year
sbyj ustf
ewmont hs.

10)On9t hJune,2015,t
heJuv enil
eBoardfoundbothPhil
li
ps&Ar t
hergui l
tyu/s304,
326,354readwithsec.-34oft heIndi
anaPenalCode,1860&t hei
rgui
ltwas
corr
oboratedbycircumstanti
alevi
denceandmedicalevi
dence.TheJuv enil
eBoard
dir
ectedthem t
obesentt ospecialhomeforamaximum per i
odofoney ear.Bot
hof
them di
dnotpreferanyfurtherappeal
.

11)BothPeter&Ransom submi ttedtotheSessi

onCour tthatthecourthasno
j
urisdi
cti
ontotrythecase,bothofthem bei
ngjuvenil
esand, hence,
theircaseshouldbe
remandedbackt otheJuvenil
eBoar d.On12thJune,2015,Peter’
scasewasr emanded
backtoJuvenil
eBoardbutRansom’ ssubmissi
onswer ereject
edduetol ackof
evi
denceofage.TheBi r
thCertif
icateofRansom provi
dedbyt heMunicipali
tycoul
dnot
bediscover
edsot her
ewasnoev i
denceofhisage.ThenRansom asser tedthataBone

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Testorotheral
li
edtestshoul dbeconduct edtodeterminehi sagebutt hi
swasr eject
ed
bytheCourtduetothei nconclusivenessofthesekindsoft ests.Lateron,on28t hJul y
,
2015,Ransom wasfoundgui l
tyu/s304ofI PC,1860ashi sf i
ngerpri
ntsweref oundon
Vaishal
i
’sbodyaspermedi calreportandu/ s326&354r eadwi thSection34ofI PC,
1860&t heCourtsentencedhi mf orimpri
sonmentof3y ear s.On4thAugust, 2015,
Peterwasfoundguilt
yu/ s304, 326&354r eadwithSection34ofI PC,1860andt his
wascorroborat
edthest atementofRam Manohar .TheJuv enil
eBoar ddir
ectedhi mt o
besenttoaspecialhomef oramaxi mum per i
odof3y ear s.

12)Anappeal waspreferredbyPeterintheCour tofSessionagainstt

hej udgmentand
orderpassedbyt heJuv enil
eBoard.Hesubmi ttedhismer epresencedoesnotpr ovet
he
guil
tbutt heSessionCour tdi
smissedt heappealont hegroundthatappeal wasnot
mai ntai
nableasthecasehaspr ovedbey ondther easonabledoubtsbeforetheJuveni
l
e
Boar d,moreovercasealsocorroboratedbycircumstantialev
idences,
statementofeye
witnessandmedi calevidenceandt hatnootherquest i
onoflawwasr aisedbyt he
appel l
antinthesaidappeal.

13)Anappeal wasf i
ll
edi ntheHi ghCour tbyRansom seeki ngset ti
ngasi detheor derof
conv i
ctionsincet heCour tofSessi onhasnoj uri
sdict i
ont ot r
yt hecaseast heaccused
wasami nor&f ort hesuspensi onofexecut ionofsent encepassedbyt heSessionCour t
.
Itwasal sosubmi ttedt hattherewasabuseofpr ocessofl awbyt het ri
alofhiscasei n
theSessi onCour t&heal soraisedt hequest ionr egar dingt hej ustif
icationofor der
passedbyt heSessi onCour trejecti
ngt heBoneTestf ordet ermi ni
nghi sage.Att he
samet i
me, ar ev i
sionpet i
ti
onwasal sofil
edbyPet erf orthequashi ngofor derof
conv i
ctionoft heCour tofSessi on.Butbot ht hepet iti
onswer er ejectedbyt heHi gh
Cour tasint heopi nionoft heHi ghCour t,
theev idencesr ev ealedt hatbot hoft hem were
wellawar eoft heci rcumst ancesandconsequencesoft heirdel i
nquentact sand,
therefore,bothwer ecapaxofcommi tti
ngcr i
me&t hatbot hwer eact ingundercommon
consensus.Ther equirementofanyt esttodet ermi neagewasconsequent lyrejected.I
n
additiontothi s,int heopi ni
onoft heHi ghCour t
,thecasewaspr ovedbey ond
reasonabl edoubt s.Int hecrossappeal whichwasf il
edbyt hepr osecut i
onagai nst
Ransom andPet er,itwascont endedt hatbot hcul pr i
tsshoul dbeconv i
ctedunder
Section302I PCi nst eadof304andt hi
scont ent i
onoft hepr osecut ionwasaccept edby
theHi ghCour tandRansom wasor deredt obesent encedf oraper i
odof10y ears.

14)TheJuv eni
l
eJust i
ce(Care&Protecti
onofChi l
dren)Act
, 2014waspassedon17t h
December ,
2014byt heParl
iamentofIndianawhichcamet of or
ceon20thJanuary.
ThisActof2014oft heRepubli
cofIndianaisanalogoustotheJuveni
leJust
ice(Care&
Protect
ionofChil
dren)Act,
2015oft heUnionofIndia.

15)On11thJanuar
y,2016bothRansom &Peterapproachedthehonorabl
eApexCourt
ofIndi
ana&theApexcourtcl
ubbedbot
ht heMatter
s&deci dedtohearthesame.The

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f
oll
owi
ngpoi
ntswer
einquest
ion-

 Ransom chall
engedthepr
oceedi
ngoftheSessi
onCourtashewasmi nor,
ther
efore,
heseeksthathi
scaseberemandedbacktotheJuvenil
eBoard&also
seeksthatthesent
encepassedbySessi
onCourtandHighCourtbesetasi
de.

 Ransom alsorai
sedquestionregardi
ngthejust
if
icat
ionoftheorderpassedby
theSessi
onCour t&theHi ghCourt,
rej
ect
ingtheconductoftheBoneTestor
otheral
li
edtestfordeter
mininghisage.

 Peterrai
sedappealagainstt
hejudgment&orderpassedbyt
heJuveni
leBoard,
SessionCourt&theHighCour twhi
chwaspassedsolelyont
hebasesofhi
s
presenceintheexhi
bit
iononthenightof8t
hMar ch,
2015andseeksacqui
tt
al
fr
om allthechar
ges.

APILisal
sofi
ledbyZIOFoundati
on,anNGOworkingf
orchi
ldri
ght
s,chal
lengi
ngthe
const
it
uti
onal
vali
dit
yoft
heJuv eni
leJust
ice(
Car
e&Pr ot
ect
ionofChi
ldr
enAct),2014.

Note:ThePILfi
leddoesnotf ormthepartofanyoft heappealbeforetheSupreme
CourtofIndi
ana,butfortheconveni
enceofar gumentation,t
helasti
ssueshallbe
th
dealti
nthesameCour t
.And,theheari
ngwillbeon12 Mar ch,2016.(Par
ti
cipant
sar
e
request
ednottor ef
eranyjudgment/prov
isi
onaf tert
hesai ddate)

16)Indi
anaisasi gnat
orytot
heUnitedNat i
ons’Convent
ionontheRi ght
soft heChil
d
(UNCRC).It
sAr t
icle40speci
fi
cal
lyestabl
ishesparameterf
orjuvenil
ejusti
ce.In
addi
tiontothi
s,thecaseofRansom issupportedbyaHumanWel fareOrganizat
ionto
prot
ecthisint
erests.

17)Allthet
eamsarerequir
edtoprepar
ear gumentsfrom bot hAppel
lants’
&
Respondent’
sside&allt
heteamsareatlibert
ytoframei ssues.Al
lthelegi
slati
onsof
theUnionofIndi
ashal
lbemut at
ismutandistothelegisl
ationsoftheRepublicof
Indi
ana.

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