Rebuttal of Age Documents Must Occur During Trial, Not at Bail Stage

While the presumption of correctness attached to age-related documentary records enumerated under Section 94 of the JJ Act is rebuttable, such a challenge must be raised and adjudicated during trial rather than at the bail stage. Evaluating contra-evidence to impeach the validity or accuracy of school registers or birth certificates requires formal examination and cross-examination of witnesses. The trial court is the sole and proper forum equipped to record evidence, evaluate credibility, and return a binding declaration on the victim's true age. At the stage of bail, the court can only examine the documents produced on record to form a tentative, prima facie view regarding the victim's age. Entertaining full-fledged evidentiary challenges to official age documents during bail proceedings improperly shifts trial stage functions into pre-trial liberty hearings. Allowing accused persons to challenge age documents during bail hearings creates procedural chaos and disrupts the statutory framework of criminal trials. Firm evidentiary findings on age must await trial so that the foundation of the prosecution's case is properly tested. (The State of Uttar Pradesh v. Anurudh & Anr. | 2026 INSC 47)