Citing Anton Chekhov on life imprisonment, Delhi High Court releases 2 life term convicts

The Delhi High Court recently granted the release of two life-term convicts, referencing Anton Chekhov's perspective on life imprisonment. Justice Anup Jairam Bhambani drew a parallel between capital punishment and lifelong imprisonment, quoting Chekhov's work: "Capital punishment kills a man at once, but lifelong imprisonment kills him slowly." This decision was made in a case involving two men convicted and imprisoned for rape in the 1990s.

The court examined the convicts' good conduct, their propensity to reoffend, and the impact of their imprisonment on their socio-economic conditions. The court rejected the Board of Sentencing Review's (SRB) previous decisions, which were deemed arbitrary and in conflict with Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.

Senior advocate Rebecca John argued that the SRB's decision failed to adhere to the legal guidelines, which outlined factors such as the convict's lost propensity to commit crimes, potential for rehabilitation, and the family's socio-economic status. Advocate Sarthak Maggon pointed out that the SRB's rejection of the pleas was based on subjective criteria rather than the prescribed statutory factors.

The court emphasized that the gravity of the original offense and the length of the sentence imposed are static facts and cannot be the sole basis for determining early release eligibility. It rejected the SRB's reliance on general expressions and instead considered the specific circumstances of each case, ultimately setting aside the orders and directing the convicts’ release.