Priyadarshini Mattoo murder case: Delhi HC orders fresh review of convict Santosh Singh’s plea for premature release

Delhi High Court on Tuesday set aside the order of the Sentence Review Board (SRB) and directed it to consider afresh the plea of life convict Santosh Kumar Singh. His plea for premature release was declined by the SRB.

He was convicted and awarded a death sentence by the Delhi High Court for the murder of Priyadarshini Mattoo on January 16, 1996. Mattoo was a 25-year-old law student who was found raped and murdered at her house in New Delhi. The Supreme Court later commuted his sentence. Santosh is the son of a former inspector general of police.

Justice Sanjeev Narula set aside the recommendation of the SRB and remanded the matter for consideration afresh.

“I have seen some reformation in the petitioner," Justice Narula said while pronouncing the order.

The High Court has also given some directions for the consideration of the matter for premature release by the sentence review board. He had challenged the order of the SRB in 2023.

Santosh Singh was acquitted by the trial court in 1999, leading to a huge hue and cry. The prosecution had then appealed against the acquittal in 2000.

The Delhi High Court had heard the matter. He was sentenced to death by the Delhi High Court on October 30, 2006.

His death sentence was commuted to a life sentence by the Supreme Court in October 2010.

India