Delhi High Court Reconsiders Premature Release Plea in High-Profile Case

The Delhi High Court has overturned a decision by the Sentence Review Board, which had previously denied the premature release plea of Santosh Kumar Singh, convicted for the 1996 rape and murder of law student Priyadarshini Mattoo.

Justice Sanjeev Narula noted elements of reformation in Singh, redirecting the case back to the Sentence Review Board for a fresh evaluation. Alongside this, the court emphasized the necessity of conducting psychological assessments of convicts when reviewing such pleas.

Singh, sentenced to life for his crimes and having served 25 years, has been shown to have satisfactory conduct, potentially meriting release. His legal team argues that he has been a reformed individual and is ready to reintegrate as a contributing member of society.

(With inputs from agencies.)