The Supreme Court on Monday condemned the State of Madhya Pradesh for its failure to release a convict, who had already completed his seven-year sentence, leading to an over-incarceration of over 4.7 years. The bench, led by Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice KV Viswanathan, expressed grave concern over the state’s lapse and held the authorities accountable for the convict's extended imprisonment. The Court issued a directive for the Madhya Pradesh government to compensate the individual with a sum of Rs. 25 lakhs. The Court was also critical of the misleading affidavits filed by the state's counsel in the matter.
What was the case?
The convict, originally sentenced to life imprisonment in 2004 by a Sessions Court in Madhya Pradesh for an offence under Section 376(1), 450, and 560B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), had his sentence reduced to seven years by the Madhya Pradesh High Court in 2007. Despite completing his sentence in 2014, he was not released until June 2023, spending an additional 4.7 years in prison.
The issue came to light when the convict filed a plea seeking justice for his extended stay in jail beyond the stipulated sentence. The Supreme Court initially noted that the convict had suffered over eight years of wrongful imprisonment, but was later informed by Senior Advocate Nachiketa Joshi, representing the State of Madhya Pradesh, that the convict had been out on bail for some time.
While the initial submission indicated that the convict had been imprisoned for eight extra years, further clarification revealed that the period of wrongful incarceration was closer to 4.7 years. The Court questioned the State’s handling of the case, especially after it was revealed that "misleading" affidavits had been filed, which gave an inaccurate account of the convict’s release timeline.
Justice Pardiwala and Justice Viswanathan highlighted the importance of transparency and accountability, stressing that such lapses in the judicial process cannot be overlooked, particularly when they involve fundamental human rights such as personal liberty. In light of the unjust prolonged imprisonment, the Supreme Court ordered a compensation of Rs. 25 lakhs for the convict. The Court also instructed the Madhya Pradesh Legal Services Authority to conduct an exercise to identify other individuals who may have faced similar over-incarceration due to state negligence.
