New Delhi. The Supreme Court on Monday supported remission of the sentence of a 96-year-old convict, who is serving life imprisonment in the 1993 Rajasthan train blast case and is currently released from jail on parole, saying that continued imprisonment “is tantamount to death penalty”. are equal. Habib Ahmed Khan had approached the top court with a request to grant permanent parole citing his deteriorating health and old age.
A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan asked the Rajasthan government to consider his case from a human rights perspective. Khan’s lawyer said that he remained in jail for more than 27 years, after which he was granted parole thrice. The third parole is now being extended by this Court from time to time.
The bench perused Khan’s medical report and asked the Rajasthan government as to what purpose would be served by keeping him in jail at this time. The bench told Additional Solicitor General Vikramjit Banerjee, who appeared in the court on behalf of the state government, ‘Just look at his medical report, where will he go. Yes, he was convicted of terrorist acts but he was not sentenced to death. Continuous imprisonment is like a death sentence for him.
The bench asked Banerjee to consider remission of her sentence and consider the case from a human rights perspective. Justice Bhuiyan said that at the age of 96, Khan is just counting his days and the law cannot be so insensitive.
The bench asked Banerjee to seek instructions from the state government on whether Khan could be granted remission or permanent parole and listed the matter after two weeks. Khan was arrested in 1994 in connection with the 1993 serial train blasts. Subsequently, in 2004, an Ajmer court convicted him and 14 others under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA).
The apex court had upheld Khan’s conviction and life imprisonment in 2016. Khan was lodged in Jaipur jail before being granted parole by the apex court in 2021.
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Tags: Rajasthan news, Supreme Court
FIRST PUBLISHED: April 8, 2024, 23:34 IST