Malda: Stepping out of the gates of the correctional home in West Bengal's Malda district, centenarian Rasik Mondal could hardly believe that he was finally free.
The reality and the crisp air at dusk were enough to numb him for sometime since the moment had arrived when he was no longer behind the bars, where he has spent the last 36 years and that too when he was about to turn 104 years old. Rasik's family is planning to celebrate his birthday on December 26, which is observed as the Boxing Day.
"My father cannot exactly recall the exact day he was born so we don't have a Gregorian calendar record. We calculate his birthday as per the Bengali calendar and we figured out that it will be on December 26. When he emerged from the correctional home in a cotton lungi and white kurta, holding on to his stick, we could not believe our eyes," Rasik's youngest son Uttam told Etv Bharat.
Rasik was born in 1920 in the West Narayanpur village of South Chandipur panchayat within the limits of Manikchak block of Malda district. He had never moved out of his village before he was taken into custody in 1988 on charges of murdering his brother Suresh over a land dispute. Suresh's wife Arati had lodged a complaint at Manikchak police station against 18 people, including Rasik.
The case's trial began in 1994 and Rasik was then 68 years old. He, along with another villager Jiten Tanti, were sentenced to life imprisonment. Since then, Rasik has been a resident of the Malda district correctional home, only to be shifted briefly to Balurghat central correctional home in Dakshin Dinajpur district for a short period.
On November 30, a Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar granted interim bail to 104-year-old Rasik Chandra Mondal.
Uttam said, although his father was supposed to be released on Monday, official procedure and paperwork continued till Tuesday afternoon. When Rasik Mondal came out of the correction home, Uttam and his two sons, Apurbo and Prabir were waiting to greet him.
"He hardly speaks now. It was a long journey back home from Malda town. My mother had supervised the cooking that day and when he was offered rice and fish curry, he refused. Instead, he simply had a cup of tea and one chapati. My father had quit meat long back, but he loves fish. I think it will take some more days for him to adjust to the feeling of finally being free," Uttam said.
The Mondal-family does not want to discuss the merits and demerits of the case which led to the incarceration of Rasik Mondal for over three decades. They just want to steer clear of the past and look ahead.
"My eldest brother has passed away. Other two brothers are in Delhi. I have talked to them and they are also trying to reach Malda at their earliest. If they can reach by December 26, then we will celebrate father's birthday. If not, we will wait for them to arrive with their families and have a grand celebration. This sort of thing does not happen in every other household. It is a privilege for us," Uttam added.
Rasik's son said that his father has a good memory and can clearly remember things from the past. Uttam is hopeful that once his father recuperates fully, he will find him comfortable amid the plants in the garden of their house.
Rasik loves plants and West Narayanpur can soon find centenarian Rasik having a gentle stroll along the village roads, his walking stick tapping on the tar.
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