Santosh Kumar Singh, undergoing life imprisonment in the Priyadarshini Mattoo rape and murder case of 1996, will be out of jail till June 19, as the Delhi High Court on Monday extended his parole to verify the grounds on which he has sought extension of his provisional release.
Santosh , who was a student at Delhi University’s Law Faculty, was convicted of rape and murder of 25-year-old Priyadarshini, a third-year law student, by the High Court in October 2006 in a landmark judgment reversing his acquittal by the trial court in 1999. He was awarded death penalty in the case.
The Supreme Court upheld his conviction in 2010, but reduced his death sentence to life imprisonment. Santosh is the son of a former Indian Police Service officer, who also served as the Joint Commissioner of Police in Delhi.
A vacation Bench of Justice I.S. Mehta extended the parole, which was to expire on Tuesday, till June 19, after the Delhi Police sought time for verification of the grounds on which Santosh has sought the relief.
To appear for examinations
Santosh was released on parole on May 15 for appearing in the examinations for postgraduate diploma in criminology and forensic science at Annamalai University.
In his application, Santosh has said he has to attend to his wife who is pregnant and has to undergo some tests.
HC extends parole after the Delhi Police sought time for verification of the grounds on which Santosh has sought the relief
