The Supreme Court has pulled up the Madhya Pradesh government after it emerged that a rape convict remained incarcerated for over eight years despite his sentence being reduced to seven years by the High Court.
A bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K.V. Viswanathan, while hearing the matter, directed the state government to file a detailed explanation within two weeks. The court expressed concern over the lapse, questioning how such a prolonged illegal detention could occur.
The man was initially tried by a sessions court in Khurai, District Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, and was sentenced to life imprisonment along with a fine of ₹2,000 for rape and other offences under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
He later challenged the conviction before the Madhya Pradesh High Court, which partly allowed his appeal by reducing the sentence from life imprisonment to seven years of rigorous imprisonment.
Despite the High Court’s reduction in sentence, the convict continued to languish in prison until June 6, 2025 — more than eight years after his incarceration.
“We would like to know how such a serious lapse occurred and why the petitioner remained in jail for more than eight years even after undergoing the entire sentence of seven years. We want the state to offer appropriate explanation in this regard,” the bench observed in its order dated August 22.
The apex court has posted the matter for further hearing on September 8, after seeking the state government’s reply.
