Home / Crime and Justice / 105-Year-Old Murder Convict Freed by Supreme Court
105-Year-Old Murder Convict Freed by Supreme Court
22 Aug
Summary
- Supreme Court ordered the permanent release of a 105-year-old murder convict.
- The convict had spent nearly three decades fighting his sentence.
- Release was granted on humanitarian grounds due to extreme age and health.
In a remarkable display of judicial compassion, India's Supreme Court has permanently released a 105-year-old murder convict. The apex court, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, formally closed all legal proceedings against Rasik Chandra Mondal, converting his interim bail into a final release. This decision was based on his extreme age and severe health issues, making further imprisonment impractical and morally unjustifiable. The case dates back to a 1988 murder in West Bengal, for which Mondal was convicted in 1994 at the age of 68. He subsequently spent nearly three decades challenging his life sentence, with both the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court initially upholding it. In 2020, Mondal, then 99, filed a direct writ petition citing humanitarian grounds. The court's progressive stance in November 2024, granting interim bail, has now culminated in this historic permanent release, allowing the nation's oldest convict to live his final days in freedom. This ruling highlights the judiciary's ability to balance legal mandates with human rights, ensuring justice with mercy.
