Premature Release Of Priyadarshini Mattoo’s Convicted Rapist Sparks Outrage: Letters Sent To Delhi Government

Strong objections have been raised against the potential premature release of Santosh Kumar Singh, the man convicted for the 1996 rape and murder of law student Priyadarshini Mattoo. Two separate letters, one from the victim’s family, journalists and lawyers, and another from the All India Kashmiri Samaj (AIKS), have urged Delhi Home Minister Ashish Sood to reject any proposal to remit Singh’s sentence, warning that such a move would severely undermine public trust in the justice system.

Letter by Family Members, Lawyers and Journalists

In a letter dated July 23, 2025, addressed to Minister Ashish Sood, six signatories, including Priyadarshini Mattoo’s brother Hemant Mattoo, senior journalist Aditya Raj Kaul, lawyer Dhruv Suri, journalist Rhythma Kaul, and co-founders of the ‘Justice for Priyadarshini Mattoo’ campaign Aditya Razdan and Vivek Raina, expressed deep concern over reports that the Sentence Review Board has been asked to reconsider Singh’s early release.

The letter describes the case as one of premeditated and obsessive violence, citing how Priyadarshini had repeatedly lodged complaints against Singh for stalking, attempted break-ins, and physical assault in the year leading up to her murder. Despite police intervention and undertakings from Singh, the harassment continued culminating in her brutal rape and murder in January 1996.

Calling the crime “not one of impulse but of deliberate malice,” the letter recalls the unprecedented public outcry following Singh’s acquittal by the trial court and the subsequent suo motu intervention by the Delhi High Court in 2006, which reversed the verdict and imposed the death penalty. That sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment by the Supreme Court in 2010.

The letter also refers to the Delhi Remission Policy, 2004 and Delhi Prison Rules, 2018, which mandate a minimum of 20 years of actual imprisonment for life convicts in cases involving rape and murder. Citing landmark Supreme Court decisions including Laxman Naskar v. Union of India and State of Haryana v. Jagdish, the signatories argue that remission is not a right but a discretionary relief that must be denied where the severity of the offence and public interest outweigh all other considerations.

The letter further cites recent instances of recidivism by released rape convicts in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Delhi, including the Dhaula Kuan gang rape case, to highlight the risk of re-offending. A referenced study by psychologist Rajat Mitra found that 70% of sexual offence convicts in NCR prisons were repeat offenders, the letter says.

“The release of Santosh Kumar Singh would send a chilling signal across India. It risks becoming a dark blot during the BJP-led government’s tenure in the national capital and severely undermines the Centre’s declared commitment to women’s safety—especially stark given that Delhi’s Chief Minister is a woman. This decision could inflict deep damage on the government’s credibility in matters of gender justice and public safety”, the letter reads.

Letter from All India Kashmiri Samaj

In a separate letter, the All India Kashmiri Samaj (AIKS), a federation representing Kashmiri Pandit organisations in India and abroad, also opposed Singh’s possible release.

The letter sent to Minister Ashish Sood, describes the case as one deserving capital punishment and calls the remission move a “dangerous precedent” in rarest-of-rare cases.

Writing on behalf of the displaced Kashmiri Pandit community, AIKS underlined that such a release would not only betray the memory of Priyadarshini but also diminish public confidence in legal remedies available to victims of gender-based violence. The organisation urged the Delhi government to formally object to Singh’s release and even consider filing a supplementary chargesheet to seek capital punishment.

Background

Priyadarshini Mattoo, a 25-year-old law student, was raped and murdered in her South Delhi residence in 1996. The prime accused, Santosh Kumar Singh, was initially acquitted in 1999 by the trial court. Following massive public protests and sustained media scrutiny, the Delhi High Court reversed the acquittal in 2006 and awarded the death sentence. 

The Supreme Court in 2010 commuted the sentence to life imprisonment, citing mitigating circumstances.

Singh has since served over 17 years in prison. Reports now indicate that his case is under reconsideration for premature release by the Sentence Review Board.