Delhi HC grants bail to terminally ill rape convict

The Delhi High Court today directed the Tihar jail authority to release on bail a rape convict who has been reportedly suffering from an "incurable" disease since May last year.

The Delhi High Court today directed the Tihar jail authority to release on bail a rape convict who has been reportedly suffering from an "incurable" disease since May last year.

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Justice Siddharth Mridul in an order directed that Satyam Singh, sentenced to seven year imprisonment for raping a minor girl, to be released on furnishing a bond of Rs 5000 and a surety of like amount to the satisfaction of the trial court.

"Prisoner (Singh) is reported to be terminally ill and suffering from what is commonly termed as incurable disease. In the circumstances, it is directed that the appellant to be released on bail..." said Justice Mridul while referring to a court's 2007 order in which it was directed that the under trials who were terminally ill could be released on bail on humanitarian grounds.

Justice Mridul's order came following a medical report filed by the jail authority stating that Singh has been suffering from chronic liver decease with symptoms like loose motion, bleeding from rectum, pain in abdomen and weakness.

In April last year, a city court had sentenced Singh to seven-year imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1000 for raping a 12 year-old girl, his neighbour, in 2008.