Priyadarshini Mattoo Case: Delhi HC Orders Fresh Review of Santosh Singh’s Plea for Premature Release
The Sentence Review Board (SRB) had earlier rejected Santosh Singh’s plea for premature release;
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, set aside the order passed by the Sentence Review Board (SRB), which had earlier rejected Santosh Singh’s plea for premature release in the Priyadarshini Mattoo rape and murder case.
Santosh Kumar Singh is currently serving a life sentence.
The matter came up before a bench led by Justice Sanjeev Narula, who referred it back to the SRB, directing that Singh’s plea must be reconsidered. The judge noted that there was an element of 'reform' in him.
"I have found some element of reformation in him. The SRB decision is set aside, and I have referred the matter back to the SRB to consider it afresh," the judge said.
The case dates back to 1996, when Priyadarshini Mattoo, a 25-year-old law student at Delhi University, was brutally raped and murdered in her flat. The trial court had acquitted Santosh Kumar Singh, citing insufficient evidence.
However, in 2006, the Delhi High Court convicted Singh and awarded him the death penalty. Later, the Supreme Court, while upholding the conviction, commuted the death sentence to life imprisonment.
Before the High Court, Santosh Singh had filed a plea for premature release, challenging the Sentence Review Board’s 2023 order.
While considering the matter, the HC stated that it framed certain guidelines to be followed by the SRB while examining prisoners' pleas. It also emphasised that the SRB must conduct a psychological assessment of the convict while considering such pleas.
However, the judge noted that no such assessment had been carried out in Singh’s case.
During the hearing today, Senior Advocate Mohit Mathur, appearing for Singh, told the court that the convict has undergone 25 years of incarceration, including remission. He further stated that Singh’s conduct has been satisfactory and reflects that he has reformed.
Earlier, the Sentence Review Board (SRB) had rejected Singh’s early release petitions in 2021 and again in 2024.
With PTI inputs