Question

Legal Principle: Nothing is an ‘offence’, if committed by a child below seven years of age.
Fact Situation: Adil, aged six years, is a student of class one. He placed his sharpened pencil on the bench with its pointed end up when his classmate Ajay stood up to answer a question from the teacher.
Ajay gets hurt when he sits on the pencil and Adil and his friends have a good laugh.
Ajay’s father, on seeing his son injured when he returns home, wants action against Adil.
Which of the following statements is the most appropriate in relation to the legal principle stated above?

• A. Adil has committed an ‘offence’.
• B. Adil has not committed any ‘offence’.
• C. Childish pranks cannot be investigated by the police.
• D. The class teacher must be arrested.

Hint:

In legal reasoning questions, always match the \textbf{exact age threshold} or other conditions in the principle with the facts.
If the condition is fully met (like age here), the conclusion becomes straightforward.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the legal principle
The principle clearly states that a child below the age of seven years cannot be held criminally liable for an act, regardless of the nature of the act, because the law presumes such a child lacks the maturity to understand the consequences of their actions.
This is aligned with Section 82 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860.
Step 2: Applying the facts
Adil is six years old — clearly below the age threshold of seven years.
The incident described involves a mischievous act that caused injury, but his age automatically exempts him from criminal responsibility under the given principle.
Step 3: Eliminating incorrect options
- Option (1) is incorrect because the legal principle exempts Adil due to his age.
- Option (3) is unrelated to the stated legal principle — the focus is not on police investigation but on criminal liability.
- Option (4) is irrelevant because there is no legal basis to arrest the teacher for this act.
Step 4: Conclusion
Based on the principle, Adil’s act, while mischievous, does not amount to an offence in the eyes of law because he is under seven years old.
\[ \boxed{\text{Adil has not committed any ‘offence’.}} \]