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Delhi High Court allows convict Santosh Kumar Singh, serving a life sentence for the rape and murder of Priyadarshini Mattoo, to give his LLM examination.

Terms of parole granted

Justice Mukesh Gupta granted the convict in question, parole for four days till 24th May. Pursuing the second branch of his masters in law from Delhi University, the court verified his claim to appear in the exam. The court also ordered Singh to furnish a bond of Rs 2,000 and surety of the like amount.

He has availed parole in numerous instances. His previous parole lasted from April 17 to May 1 for Personal Contact Programme (PCP), which is a part of his course. On May 15, 2017, he was granted parole for 15 days to write his LLM exams and attend his brother’s wedding.

The reaction of the standing counsel

Delhi government standing counsel (criminal) — Rahul Mehra — opposed the parole plea argued that the purpose of justice is defeated in this modus operandi (way of operating) of taking admission in a course and then asking for parole. The lax in reducing Singh’s punishment from the death penalty to life imprisonment has always been controversial, leading to various protests in the last.

Mehra objected and compared the relief given to prisoners to the distribution of sweets. The court, however, held the view that education is encouraged in prison, as a way of bringing positivity in the jail.

Details of the case at hand

Priyadarshini Mattoo, Singh’s junior, was raped and strangled at her residence in 1996 that led to a 14-year battle of justice, fury, and frustration. In 2006, the high court at the national capital convicted Santosh Singh and sentenced him to death. Subsequently, in 2010, the Supreme Court converted the punishment to life imprisonment. The inability of the judiciary to award speedy justice to Mattoo and her family carries the weight of India’s deepest regrets.

Feature Image Credits: Express File Photo

Image Credits: Outlook, Aditya Raj Kaul

Raabiya

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