Delhi High Court Orders Convict to Surrender in 1996 Mattoo Murder Case
In a significant legal development concerning the 1996 Priyadarshini Mattoo murder case, the Delhi High Court on Thursday issued a directive ordering convict Santosh Singh to surrender on Monday. This decision came after Hemant Mattoo, the victim's elder brother and the last surviving member of the family, strongly opposed Singh's plea for premature release. The court emphasized that it would only consider Singh's remission request after he complies with the surrender order.
Court's Directive and Family's Opposition
Justice Anup J Bhambhani issued the order after taking note of submissions by Hemant Mattoo, who appeared in the matter for the first time following a court request. Represented by advocate Urvika Suri, Hemant expressed his intention to assist the court in explaining why the Sentence Review Board (SRB) was justified in rejecting Singh's request for premature release. The court had earlier issued a notice to Hemant in January, noting that the next of kin had not been informed about the pending petition seeking early release.
Background of the Case and Legal Proceedings
Priyadarshini Mattoo, a 25-year-old woman, was tragically raped and murdered in January 1996. Santosh Singh, who was a law student at Delhi University at the time, was initially acquitted by a trial court in 1999. However, on October 27, 2006, the Delhi High Court overturned this verdict, convicting him of rape and murder and sentencing him to death. In October 2010, the Supreme Court upheld the conviction but commuted the death sentence to life imprisonment.
Singh had been granted parole last year and has remained out of prison after securing extensions from the high court while his plea for remission is pending. Last year, a different high court bench set aside the SRB's decision to reject his premature release, observing that Singh had shown signs of reform. The bench noted that the SRB had relied heavily on the gravity, cruelty, and perversity of the crime, as well as objections from Delhi Police and the CBI.
Reformative Conduct and Current Status
The court highlighted that Singh was lodged in an open prison, which allowed him to leave the prison complex daily between 8 am and 8 pm for work as a legal consultant. This arrangement was cited as an indication of positive reformative conduct. Despite this, the recent opposition from the victim's brother has prompted the court to prioritize the surrender directive before any further consideration of remission.
This case continues to draw significant attention due to its prolonged legal battles and the emotional impact on the victim's family. The Delhi High Court's latest order underscores the importance of involving the victim's kin in such proceedings and ensuring that justice is served with due consideration to all parties involved.
