KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court has ordered the early release of Sankar Sundar Dutta, alias Tuti, a man convicted in a 1997 double murder case, after he spent 21 years behind bars. The decision follows a recommendation from the State Sentence Review Board, which prompted the High Court to direct the trial court to release him within 48 hours.
Justice Tirthankar Ghosh, upon being informed of the board’s decision, stated, “In view of the recommendation made by the State Sentence Review Board, the petitioner will take out an application for release before the additional sessions judge, 6th Court, Alipore, and the court would release the petitioner within 48 hours of communication of this order.”
Sankar, the only son of elderly parents aged 84 and 74, was originally acquitted by a trial court in 2001 in connection with the December 6, 1997 killings at Ram Kamal Street under the Watgunge police station. However, following an appeal by the state, the Calcutta High Court overturned the acquittal in 2006 and sentenced Sankar and six others to life imprisonment under charges of murder and the Explosive Substances Act. He was also fined ₹5,000.
In 2007, Sankar and two others challenged their convictions in the Supreme Court. However, both the appeal and subsequent review petition were dismissed in 2008.
Sankar first applied for remission in 2020, but the State Sentence Review Board rejected his plea in 2021. He had made multiple appeals to the Governor and the Chief Minister. His request was finally reconsidered and approved this year, leading to the court’s directive for his release.
In his petition to the High Court, Sankar highlighted his good conduct during incarceration. He had been granted parole 12 times without incident and emphasized his continuous imprisonment since 2006.
Sankar’s release marks the end of a decades-long legal battle that began with his arrest for a violent attack that left two people dead and another injured nearly 27 years ago.
