105-year-old murder convict granted relief after Supreme Court closes 1988 case

The Supreme Court of India has granted relief to 105-year-old Rasik Chandra Mondal, a life convict from West Bengal, after an extended legal battle spanning over three decades. Considering his advanced age and failing health, the court waived the remaining sentence against him.

The case against Mondal originated in 1988 when he was accused along with his three sons and two others in a murder case registered in Malda district, West Bengal. After a trial, a district court sentenced him to life imprisonment in 1994, which was later upheld by the Calcutta High Court in 2018 and later dismissed by the Supreme Court in March 2019.

In 2020, at the age of 99, Mondal approached the Supreme Court for a premature release due to his poor health. The court granted him interim bail in November 2024, citing his multiple ailments. In July 2025, the court ordered his release after giving four weeks to the state to take necessary instructions regarding his health and ability to pursue the legal matter.