India, Sept. 3 -- Observing that "a child should not be treated as a criminal", the Supreme Court on Tuesday set aside the 20-year-old conviction of a man who was a minor at the time of the alleged offence, saying that the procedural finality and "technical shackles" cannot be used to deny statutory benefits to a juvenile.

The top court said that a child is a victim of circumstances and is sometimes drawn to the crime world due to socio-economic or emotional and psychological reasons. "The State owes a responsibility to reintegrate the juveniles in society rather than permanently stigmatise them," a bench comprising Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Shree Chandrashekhar said.

It referred to unawareness about legal protections available...