The Supreme Court today ordered premature release of a 105-year old life convict, Rasik Chandra Mondal, after confirming his interim bail/parole in a 1988 murder case.

A bench of CJI Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana passed the order.

Mondal was booked by West Bengal police in 1988 for the offenses under Sections 143, 448, 302 and 324 of IPC. On December 12, 1994, he was convicted under Section 302. In 2018, the Calcutta High Court dismissed his appeal against conviction. He approached the Supreme Court as well, but the plea was dismissed.

Mondal approached the Supreme Court for premature release in 2020 when he was 99 years old. In 2024, the Court granted him interim bail/parole during the pendency of the petition (on terms and conditions to be fixed by the trial court).

Today, having regard to Mondal's age, the Supreme Court found no justification for not releasing him prematurely even if he had not completed his entire sentence.

Case :RASIK CHANDRA MONDAL v. THE STATE OF WEST BENGAL, W.P.(Crl.) No. 313/2020

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