Kendrapara, Aug. 29: The age dispute of the two accused in the murder of a 13-year-old Dalit girl of the district has come under judicial scrutiny.

The case was heard by the district and sessions judge in the wake of a complaint lodged by a human rights activist, who said the offenders were minor.

“According to the school records, both are minors, and despite the grave nature of offence allegedly committed by them, law does not permit the police to send them to jail,” human rights activist B.K. Pati said.

“The police are looking into the age angle of the accused. If found out minors, they will be sent to a child reform home. Their trial will then take place at juvenile court,” said Kendrapara superintendent of police Sarthak Sarangi. At present, both the accused are in jail.

Earlier, the government-run District Child Protection Unit had found the accused to be minors after verifying their school admission registers. Being summoned, the school authorities submitted the registers in connection with the litigation in the court.

In another development, the police have detained another person in connection with the case. “He is being interrogated. It is being ascertained whether he was at the spot when the crime was being committed or he abetted to the offence,” Sarangi said.

The two accused had allegedly attempted to rape the student of a local government-run school. But when they failed in their attempt, they set her on fire at Kharinashi village on July 28. Later, the victim succumbed to burn injuries on her way to hospital in Delhi on August 8.

Kendrapara police recorded the victim’s dying declaration in the presence of a magistrate at SCB hospital in Cuttack on July 29. In the declaration, the victim had named the detained person though he did not figure in the list of accused persons in the FIR.

The girl’s death has triggered a flurry of spontaneous protest across the state.