New Delhi: A 105-year-old murder convict will finally live as a free man!
Rasik Chandra Mondal, from West Bengal’s Malda district, got the reprieve after the Supreme Court closed the case against him and waived the remaining period of his life sentence.
Mondal was found guilty of killing his brother Suresh Mondal in 1988 following a property dispute, and convicted in 1994 at the age of 68. He was in jail till November 29, 2024, when the Supreme Court granted him bail.
On Friday, a bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana said it was closing the case and waiving the remaining sentence, if any, taking into consideration the age of the petitioner.
Even if the life sentence is not over, Mondal will not be taken back in custody, the CJI said, making the interim bail order of 2024 absolute and final.
While granting interim bail in November 2024, the court had noted that Mondal had age-related health issues.
Earlier, the Calcutta High Court had dismissed Mondal’s appeal, challenging his conviction, in 2018. He then approached the Supreme Court, which also dismissed his plea.
In 2020, Mondal, then 99 years old, moved a plea seeking premature release, citing advanced age and age-related ailments.
In May 2021, the country’s top court issued notice to the West Bengal government in the matter.
