Shahabas Murder Case: Kerala High Court Denies Bail To 5 Juveniles Accused Of Attacking Class 10 Student Leading To His Death

The Kerala High Court on Friday (25th April) denied bail to the 5 juveniles who are apprehended for being involved in the murder of 15-year-old Shahabas, a class 10 student who was allegedly attacked by his tuition fellows in Kozhikkode which lead to his death."Considering the above aspects, I am not inclined to grant bail to the petitioners" Justice Jobin Sebastian ordered. The quintet has been booked under Sections 103(1) (murder), 126(2) (wrongful restraint), 189 (unlawful assembly), 191(2), 191(3) (rioting), 118(2) (voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt) and 190 of BNS and their bail applications were dismissed by the Juvenile Justice Board.Five children have been apprehended for attacking Shahabas with nunchaku over a dispute regarding farewell function held at the tuition centre. It is said that the juveniles created Instagram and WhatsApp groups to discuss and decide how to attack Shahabas. He died due to a fracture on his skull.The High Court agreed with the order of the Juvenile Justice Board that the release of the petitioners will cause danger to their life. The Board and Court had relied on the allegations that the school where the petitioner studied received many anonymous threatening calls saying that the petitioners will be done away with if they are out on bail.The Court also took into account that the victim was a 15-year-old."Moreover, in the present cases, a minor aged 15 years was murdered. It is noteworthy that the Juvenile Justice Act aims not only to take care of the children in conflict with law but also to address the needs and welfare of all juveniles. The objective must be balanced with the need to ensure justice for victims and the broader societal interest."The Counsel for the petitioner had submitted that the juveniles have been in juvenile custody for 56 days. Counsel for the Petitioners: Advocates K. M. Firoz, Jacob E. SimonCounsel for the Respondents: Advocates Kodoth Sreedharan, K. P. Muhammad Arif, Abdul Jaleel U. K., Chackochen Vithayathil, C. K. Suresh (Sr. PP), G. Sudheer (PP)Case No: BA 5636 of 2025 & Connected CasesCase Title: Soorya Kiran And Another v State of Kerala And Others & Connected CasesCitation: 2025 LiveLaw (Ker) 251Click Here To Read/ Download Order

Shahabas Murder Case: Kerala High Court Denies Bail To 5 Juveniles Accused Of Attacking Class 10 Student Leading To His Death

Manju Elsa Isac

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