IGNOU degrees, good conduct: Bombay High Court frees 2006 kidnap-murder convict

The Bombay High Court has granted early release to a man serving life imprisonment for a 2006 kidnapping and murder, emphasizing that punishment must serve reformative purposes. The court heard the appeal of a man who completed three courses through IGNOU while in prison and took up several responsibilities, seeking release after completing 14 years.

The court highlighted that the reformative purpose of imprisonment means a convict should have the opportunity to re-integrate into society. The man was convicted in 2014 for kidnapping and murdering law student Mandar Surlakar in Goa, alongside three others, who were sentenced to life imprisonment. Despite the heinous nature of the crime, the court found that the man's positive conduct in prison, including completing degrees and working in various capacities, made premature release a reasonable option.

The court ruled that the Goa government's rejection of the State Sentence Review Board's recommendation for early release was arbitrary and legally unsustainable, directing his release.