A 105-year-old murder convict will now be able to live out the rest of his life as a free man after the Supreme Court on Friday closed the case against him and waived the remaining period of his life sentence, taking into consideration his advanced age.
Rasik Chandra Mondal, who was born in 1920 in West Bengal's Malda district, was convicted in a murder case in 1994. He remained in prison for nearly three decades before the Supreme Court granted him bail on November 29, 2024, according to news agency PTI.
Also Read | Fact or fiction? Viral video claiming 188-year-old man rescued from Bengaluru cave turns out to be…
Court took account of Mondal's age
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana on Friday took note of Mondal's age and decided to bring the prolonged legal proceedings to an end.
"Having regard to the age of the petitioner, we close the case and waive the remaining sentence, if any," the bench said while passing the order, the PTI report added.
{{/usCountry}}"Having regard to the age of the petitioner, we close the case and waive the remaining sentence, if any," the bench said while passing the order, the PTI report added.
{{/usCountry}}The Chief Justice clarified that Mondal would not be sent back to prison even if the life sentence imposed on him had not technically come to an end. The court also made the interim bail order granted in 2024 absolute and final.
Also Read | No celebration, just relief: Centenarian's kin open up on 40 years of fighting murder accused tag
SC considered health issues too
The Supreme Court had, while granting him interim relief earlier, directed that Mondal be released from custody subject to conditions imposed by the trial court.
"As an interim order, we direct that the petitioner, Rasik Chandra Mondal, will be released on interim bail/parole during the pendency of the present writ petition, on terms and conditions to be fixed by the trial court," the court had said earlier.
The court had also taken note of Mondal's age-related health issues while considering his plea for relief.
Mondal's case had remained before various courts for several years. In 2018, the Calcutta High Court dismissed his appeal challenging his conviction in the murder case. Following this, he approached the Supreme Court, but the apex court also dismissed his plea challenging the High Court's decision.
Two years later, in 2020, Mondal, who was then 99 years old, returned to the Supreme Court seeking premature release from prison. He cited his advanced age as well as ailments associated with old age while seeking relief.
The plea brought his unusually advanced age and prolonged incarceration before the apex court. In May 2021, the Supreme Court issued notice to the West Bengal government on his plea seeking premature release.
Mondal subsequently remained on the legal radar while his plea for release was considered. After being granted interim bail in November 2024, the matter continued before the Supreme Court.
With Friday's order, the apex court has now brought the proceedings to an end and waived any remaining portion of Mondal's life sentence, allowing the 105-year-old to remain out of custody.
(With inputs from PTI)