Supreme Court Closes 1988 Murder Case, Grants Final Relief to 105-Year-Old

The Supreme Court on Friday allowed 105-year-old Rasik Chandra Mondal to remain a free man by making its earlier interim bail order final in a 1988 murder case. A bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, decided to close the proceedings while taking into account Mondal’s advanced age. The court also waived any remaining portion of his sentence, meaning he will not be returned to custody even if his life sentence had not technically ended.

Mondal was born in 1920 in Malda district of West Bengal and was convicted in the murder case in 1994, when he was 68 years old. He remained incarcerated for decades before the Supreme Court granted him interim bail on November 29, 2024. The court had previously taken note of his age-related health concerns while considering his plea for relief. On Friday, the bench converted that interim arrangement into a final order, bringing the long-running legal proceedings to an end.

The case dates back to 1988 and has continued through several stages of the judicial system. Mondal challenged his conviction before the Calcutta High Court, but his appeal was dismissed in 2018. He subsequently approached the Supreme Court, which also rejected his challenge to the conviction. However, in 2020, when he was 99 years old, Mondal approached the top court again, seeking premature release from prison because of his advanced age and age-related ailments.

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The Supreme Court took up the issue and issued notice to the West Bengal government in May 2021. The proceedings continued for several years, eventually leading to the interim bail order in November 2024. At that stage, the court directed that Mondal be released on interim bail or parole during the pendency of his writ petition, subject to conditions determined by the trial court. His age and health remained important considerations in the court’s approach to the matter.

With Friday’s order, the court has now brought the proceedings to a close. Chief Justice Surya Kant made it clear that Mondal would not be sent back to prison, stating that even if some portion of the life sentence technically remained, the elderly convict would not be taken back into custody. The court therefore made the interim bail order absolute and final while waiving the remaining sentence, if any.

The decision brings an unusual conclusion to a criminal case that has remained in litigation for nearly four decades. Mondal, now 105, has spent a substantial part of his life dealing with the consequences of the conviction and subsequent legal proceedings. The Supreme Court’s latest order, based largely on his exceptional age and circumstances, ensures that he can now remain outside prison without further custody in connection with the case.

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