In a significant ruling on Friday, the Jharkhand High Court ordered the release of three men, Kishun Pandit, Jamadar Pandit, and Lakhi Pandit, who had been incarcerated for over three decades. The trio was convicted in a murder case over a dispute involving just Rs 200 in Deoghar district.
The case originated from an incident on December 3, 1993, in the Jasidih police station area, where Lakhan Pandit, another convict who passed away during the appeal, had borrowed Rs 200 from Nunu Lal Mahto for agricultural purposes. Unable to repay the debt, tensions flared when Mahto demanded his money back, ultimately leading to his assault and death—an act witnessed by Mahto’s son, Bhairav.
Initially convicted by the session court in Deoghar on June 6, 1997, their appeal lingered through the judicial system, transitioning from the Patna High Court to the Jharkhand High Court post the state’s formation in 2000. The prolonged legal battle saw numerous delays, exacerbated by periods where the convicts lacked legal representation.
Finally, with the appointment of an amicus curiae, the case was re-examined, leading to the recent decision to commute their life sentences to time served and release them from bail bonds.
