New Delhi: A 105-year-old murder convict can now remain a free man after the Supreme Court on Friday made final its earlier order granting him bail in a 1988 murder case.

Rasik Chandra Mondal, who was born in 1920 in West Bengal’s Malda district, was convicted in 1994 at the age of 68. He remained behind bars until November 29, 2024, when the Supreme Court granted him bail.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana on Friday said it was closing the case and waiving any remaining sentence, taking into account Mondal’s advanced age.

Even if his life sentence had not technically ended, the court made it clear that Mondal would not be sent back to prison.

The Chief Justice said the court was making the 2024 interim bail order “absolute and final”.

"As an interim order, we direct that the petitioner, Rasik Chandra Mondal, will be released on interim bail/parole during the pendency of the present writ petition, on terms and conditions to be fixed by the trial court," the court had said in its earlier order.

The Supreme Court had also noted that Mondal was suffering from age-related health issues.

Convicted in 1994, Mondal spent decades behind bars

Mondal’s legal battle over his conviction continued for years. In 2018, the Calcutta High Court dismissed his appeal challenging the murder conviction. He subsequently approached the Supreme Court, which also rejected his plea.

In 2020, when Mondal was 99, he filed a petition seeking premature release, citing his advanced age and health problems associated with ageing.

The Supreme Court issued notice to the West Bengal government in the matter in May 2021.

After spending decades in custody, Mondal was granted interim bail by the Supreme Court in November 2024. Friday’s order has now effectively brought the proceedings to an end, allowing the 105-year-old to remain out of prison.