Context: One of the accused in the murder of former Maharashtra MLA Baba Siddique claimed before a court in Mumbai on Sunday that he was 17 years old — and should thus be tried under the Juvenile Justice Act.
The Mumbai Police Crime Branch, which sought custody of the accused, said an Aadhaar card found on the individual showed his age as 19.
To determine whether the accused was a minor, the magistrate ordered a bone ossification test, which was carried out at the state-run J J Hospital. After the report established that the accused, Dharmaraj Kashyap, was not a minor, the court remanded him in police custody until October 21.
Ossification
- Bone formation is the process by which new bone is produced. In humans, ossification begins about the third month of fetal life and is completed by late adolescence. The process takes two general forms: compact bone, which makes up roughly 80 percent of the skeleton, and cancellous bone, which includes parts of the skull, the shoulder blades, and the ends of the long bones.
- As a person ages, the rate of bone formation slows down, and eventually, the bones become more brittle and prone to fracture. Due to the predictable nature of this process, scientists have developed methods for estimating a person's age based on the degree of bone ossification in specific bones.
One such method is the ossification test, also known as the epiphyseal fusion test.
Ossification test
- This test involves examining X-rays of certain bones in the body, specifically the clavicle, sternum, and pelvis, to determine the degree of ossification.
- These bones are chosen because they tend to undergo the most dramatic changes in structure as a person ages.
- For example, the clavicle is a long bone connecting the shoulder blade to the sternum. It undergoes a complex process of ossification involving the fusion of multiple epiphyses, or growth plates, over time.
- By examining X-rays of the clavicle, scientists can estimate a person's age based on which growth plates have fused and which have not.
How is it performed?
- To perform an ossification test, a trained professional, such as a forensic anthropologist, typically obtains X-rays of the relevant bones in the body. These X-rays are then examined for signs of ossification, such as the fusion of growth plates or segments.
- Based on the degree of ossification, the professional can estimate the person's age within a certain range.
Limitations:
- However, it is important to note that this method is not foolproof. The rate and pattern of bone ossification can vary significantly among individuals. Factors such as disease, injury, and malnutrition can affect the degree of bone ossification, making it more difficult to estimate a person's age accurately.
- Ossification tests give a range—say, 17-19 years. Courts have dealt with the question of the margin of error in the range and considered whether to accept the age at the lower or the upper end of the range.
Despite these limitations, the ossification test remains a useful tool for forensic anthropologists, particularly in cases where other age estimation methods, such as dental analysis or DNA testing, are not possible. It is also used in some medical settings to assess skeletal maturity in children with growth disorders. In general, the ossification test provides a non-invasive and relatively inexpensive method for estimating a person's age, and it can be a valuable tool in various contexts.