School leaving certificate not enough to prove age: HC

The Gujarat high court has ruled that a school leaving certificate alone is not sufficient evidence to establish a person's age in a criminal trial. The ruling came in a case where a man was accused of raping a 12-year-old girl in 1994, but was acquitted due to lack of evidence. The court stated that a school leaving certificate can be considered as evidence, but it needs to be supported by corroborative evidence and the person who recorded the birth date must be examined during the trial.