# Supreme Court Pardons Remaining Life Sentence of 105 Year Old Rasik Chandra Mondal

> The Supreme Court has granted permanent freedom to 105-year-old Rasik Chandra Mondal, closing all legal proceedings in a 1988 murder case from Malda.

**Type:** article · **Category:** India · **Published:** 2026-08-22 · **Source:** TrendKia
**Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/national/supreme-court-ne-105-varshiya-rasik-chandra-mondal-ki-baki-bachi-saja-ki-mapha-cji-surya-kant-ki-pitha-ka-phaisala-19797 · **Language:** English
**Tags:** Supreme Court, Rasik Chandra Mondal, Surya Kant, Life Sentence Pardoned, West Bengal, Malda Murder Case

Setting a remarkable precedent of compassion and judicial empathy, the Supreme Court of India has permanently released a 105 year old murder convict by forgiving the remainder of his life sentence. A three-judge bench delivered the decision after concluding that sending a person of such advanced age and deteriorating health back into custody would serve no practical or moral purpose. With this ruling, the apex court formally closed all legal proceedings against the elderly petitioner, transforming his temporary relief into absolute freedom.

## Humanitarian Decision by the Three-Judge Bench
The bench comprising CJI Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V. Mohana issued the final order while hearing the matter. Previously in November 2024, the Supreme Court had granted interim bail and parole to the petitioner after evaluating his severe medical conditions and advanced age. Converting that interim arrangement into a permanent order, the court ensured that he would not be required to return to prison. CJI Surya Kant explicitly emphasized that even though the convict had not technically finished his full formal term of life imprisonment, re-inducting him into detention was entirely unnecessary.

## The 1988 Malda Murder Case and Four Decades of Legal History
The origins of this protracted legal battle trace back to 1988 in the Malda district of West Bengal, where a murder took place. Rasik Chandra Mondal, who was born in 1920, was named as the accused. In December 1994, a trial court found him guilty and sentenced him to life imprisonment. Remarkably, Mondal was already 68 years old at the time of his conviction. Over the subsequent decades, he endured nearly thirty years behind bars while seeking legal remedies through various appellate forums.

His legal challenges suffered major setbacks when the Calcutta High Court dismissed his appeal against conviction in 2018. Subsequent petitions before the Supreme Court were also turned down, upholding the trial court sentence of life imprisonment. Despite the exhaustion of standard judicial appeals, Mondal continued to suffer from severe age-related ailments while serving his sentence in prison.

## From a 2020 Petition at Age 99 to Final Freedom
Refusing to surrender hope despite successive legal rejections, Mondal filed a writ petition directly before the Supreme Court in 2020, when he had reached 99 years of age. Citing his frail physical state, chronic health conditions, and extreme longevity, he requested premature release purely on humanitarian grounds. The Supreme Court took note of his fragile state and initially granted him interim bail and parole in November 2024.

In the latest proceedings, the bench finalized his release by making the November 2024 bail order absolute. The court wiped away the remaining period of his sentence and terminated all ongoing proceedings associated with the case. The ruling reinforces that the judicial framework possesses the flexibility to balance strict penal provisions with human rights and fundamental decency.

## Broader Implications for the Judicial System
This landmark ruling sends a clear message across the legal landscape regarding the role of mercy and human dignity within the criminal justice framework. By ensuring that one of the country's oldest prisoners can spend his final years in liberty, the Supreme Court demonstrated that law must remain sensitive to human realities. The judgment highlights that penal justice is not merely about retribution, but also about recognizing when incarceration ceases to hold any meaningful societal utility.

## What this means for you
**Across India:** This judgment creates a significant precedent for elderly and ailing prisoners seeking release on humanitarian grounds.

**In West Bengal:** The long-standing legal proceedings stemming from the 1988 Malda murder case have now reached a definitive conclusion.

## Questions & Answers

### 1. How old is Rasik Chandra Mondal and why was he released?
Rasik Chandra Mondal is 105 years old. The Supreme Court pardoned his remaining sentence considering his extreme old age and deteriorating health.

### 2. Which year and location does this case relate to?
This case relates to a murder committed in 1988 in the Malda district of West Bengal.

### 3. When was Rasik Chandra Mondal originally convicted?
In December 1994, a trial court convicted him and sentenced him to life imprisonment when he was 68 years old.

### 4. Which Supreme Court bench delivered this verdict?
A three-judge bench comprising CJI Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V. Mohana delivered the verdict.

### 5. What observation did the Supreme Court make while granting freedom?
The bench observed that sending a 105-year-old person back to prison serves neither a practical nor a moral purpose.

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