105, not out? SC orders release of murder convict

Rasik Mandal, a 105-year-old inmate, was released from prison on Friday after the Supreme Court ordered his release. Born in 1920, Mandal spent his final days with his family after being convicted in 1994 for a murder that took place in 1988 when he was 68 years old. His appeal against the conviction was dismissed by the Calcutta High Court in 2018 and by the Supreme Court in 2019. Serving a life sentence, Mandal was moved to a correctional home in Balurghat, West Bengal due to his age-related ailments.

Mandal's son filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court in 2020, seeking his premature release due to age and related ailments. The court admitted the petition on November 29, 2024, and directed his release "on interim bail/parole in the case lodged on November 9, 1988, at Manikchak police station in West Bengal." On Friday, the Supreme Court bench questioned why Mandal should not be released permanently, as he was alive and should be able to spend his remaining days with his family. The court ruled that he is permanently released from jail for the purpose of this case.