This is what the Justice Verma Commission ruled on juveniles: "We did consider, however, a general lowering of the juvenile age. The research and the statistics in this area, as well as our own experience shows that it was not viable. Even the women's organisations, most of them were of the view that it was not desirable. And you see you can't make a generalisation."

The former Chief Justice of India added, "The law is for general application and not for a particular case. And at any rate criminal law can't be retrospective. Even if a law were to be made today it will only be applicable to future cases."

Incidentally, the three-member panel also had Justice Leila Seth, who is author, poet Vikram Seth's mother and the first woman judge of the Delhi High court.