New Delhi: The Supreme Court has granted interim bail to 104-year-old Rasik Chandra Mondal, who is serving a life term for a murder he had committed in 1988.
The matter came up before a bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and comprising Justice Sanjay Kumar. Advocate Astha Sharma represented the West Bengal government before the bench.
The bench, in its order, said: "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". Mondal was born in 1920 in West Bengal’s Malda district.
Mondal’s plea was listed before the bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna on Friday. The bench asked West Bengal counsel to update it on his prevalent health condition.
Sharma contended before the bench that Mondal had health issues, which are age-related, but otherwise, he is in a stable condition. Sharma informed the bench that he would celebrate his 104th birthday shortly. Against the backdrop of his advanced age, the bench said it would grant him interim bail.
In 1994, Mondal, when he was 68 years old, was convicted for a 1988 murder case. Currently, he is serving life sentence. In 2018, the Calcutta High Court dismissed his appeal challenging his conviction in the murder case. Later, he moved the apex but did not succeed.
In 2020, Mondal, when he was 99-years-old, moved a plea seeking premature release. Mondal had cited his advanced age- and age-related ailments. In May 2021, the apex court issued notice to the West Bengal government.
