Rasik Chandra Mandal Case: 104-Year-Old Murder Convict Seeks Release, Supreme Court Reviews Petition

Rasik Chandra Mandal Case: The Supreme Court has granted interim bail to 104-year-old Rasik Chandra Mandal, who is a convicted person in a murder case in 1988. In this significant ruling, delivered by a bench led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Mandal shall be temporarily released under conditions determined by the trial court.

Mandal, convicted in 1994 for the murder committed in 1988, was sentenced to life imprisonment when he was 68 years old. Despite multiple appeals challenging his sentence, the Calcutta High Court dismissed it in 2018 and the Supreme Court had rejected him earlier. However, in 2020, Mandal filed a new petition citing his advanced age and poor health. At the age of 99, he pleaded for relief from prison due to his medical condition.

The Supreme Court has sought a report from the West Bengal government and took his plea seriously in the year 2021. November 29, after having reviewed his deteriorating health and age, the bench decided to grant him interim bail. West Bengal government lawyer Aastha Sharma informed the court that Mandal's health was slightly better and he was approaching his 104th birthday. In view of that, the court granted him temporary release considering his health condition and age.