Allahabad High Court orders juvenile board review for 1980 murder convicts

Allahabad High Court has set aside life sentences of two men convicted in a 1980 murder after ruling they were minors at the time. The bench, comprising Justices Abdul Moin and Pramod Kumar Srivastava, delivered the order on October 15, 2026, on an appeal arising from a brutal attack in Sultanpur on September 28, 1980. According to the prosecution, eight men armed with sharp‑edged weapons and spears assaulted a crowd, killing Shamshad, Abdul Rafiq, Dilsher and Hamidullah and injuring several others. The Sessions Court sentenced all eight accused to life imprisonment on December 14, 1981. During the high‑court appeal, appellants Siraj Ahmad and Abdul Wahid argued they were under 18 when the crime occurred. The court directed the Juvenile Justice Board to verify their ages; the board’s report and school records showed Ahmad was 17 years 10 months and Wahid 17 years 11 months at the time. While the bench affirmed the conviction based on consistent eyewitness and medical evidence, it could not uphold the adult‑law sentences because of the juveniles’ status. The judges ordered the two men to appear before the Juvenile Justice Board on October 28, attaching a certified copy of the judgment, and instructed the board to issue an appropriate order within six weeks. ## Context Under India’s Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, persons under 18 at the time of an offence are dealt with under a separate legal framework that focuses on rehabilitation rather than adult imprisonment. The high court’s decision reflects this statutory requirement while still ensuring accountability for serious crimes.