JJB rejects bone ossification test plea

JJB rejects bone ossification test plea

January 31st, 2013

“The Juvenile Justice Board rejected the police request for his bone ossification test for age determination.”

“The inquiry against the accused who will be 0f 18 years in June 2013, will continue by the Juvenile Justice Board nevertheless as per Section 3 of the Juvenile Justice Act.”

What is bone ossification test?

• Ossification is the process of formation of new bone by cells called osteoblasts. As per scientific evidence, by the age of 25 years nearly all bones are completely ossified in humans. Ossification test is a guess work based on the fusion of joints in the human body b/w birth and age 25. If all joints are fused the person must be of 25yrs of age or older. As per experts that there can be an error of about 2 years in the age determined by the ossification test, but it is still more reliable than ascertaining the age on mere appearance basis. 
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Different ways to tell age of a person:

• School Records
  Methods like Orchodometry which measures testicular volume. The test is available in India.
  Teeth (Forensic experts check teeth first. All molars are up by 18.)
  X-Ray of elbow, hip, knee, wrist, shoulders and collar-bones are taken for bone ossification (hardening) test. Bone age is correlated to chronological age.
  TW3 Test (Tanner-Whitehouse Tests) or Bone Maturation Test – Has been introduced by BCCI to check age fraud in junior cricket. It works out skeletal maturity from hand and wrist bones.
  Telomeres Age determination based on the length of telomeres, the protective cap of chromosomes. Telomere length varies with age.
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•  What does Section 3 of the Juvenile Justice Act say?
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• Section 3 reads: “Where an inquiry has been initiated against a juvenile in conflict with the law or a child in need of care and protection and during the course of such inquiry the juvenile or the child ceases to be such, then, notwithstanding anything contained in this Act or in any other law for the time being in force, the inquiry may be continued and orders may be made in respect of such person as if such person had continued to be a juvenile or a child.”