India's oldest prisoner released at age 108

[News_Editor]

India's oldest prisoner released at age 108

2011-06-18 10:22:55 GMT+7 (ICT)

LUCKNOW, INDIA (BNO NEWS) -- At age 108, India on Friday released its oldest prisoner after his bail was paid, the Times of India reported on Saturday.

In 1987, 84-year-old Brij Bihari participated in a killing spree after he was not chosen to be the chief priest of Jagannath temple in Maharajganj district in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. Bihari and fifteen others killed Ramanujdas, who got the job instead, as well as three others.

Until Friday, Bihari, now 108 years old as per prison records, had been incarcerated in Gorakhpur jail from the time of his arrest. He was transfered to a hospital a few days ago when he fell critically ill.

Bihari had been alternating between jail and district hospitals since he was convicted along with 15 others in December 2009. In October 2010, the office of Maharajganj's district magistrate sent a clemency petition to the Uttar Pradesh governor for setting Bihari free.

Late last month, Bihari and 10 others held for the four murders were granted bail, but there was the issue of who would bail him out since his closest relatives were also in jail for the same crime. On Friday, Avnish Pandey, the son of his jailed nephew, furnished the bail bond, ensuring the old man's release.

Bihari said he regrets his actions and wants to see his village before he dies.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-06-18

[geriatrickid]

May he die before he sees the village.

[Chris Lawrence]

18 months for killing 15 people back in 1987? Something wrong with the time taken and the sentence given?

[Naam]

18 months for killing 15 people back in 1987? Something wrong with the time taken and the sentence given?

India's longest court case (not yet resolved) goes back 175 years!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5003438.stm

[Wallaby]

Well what a judicial system. You can be jailed for longer than your sentence will eventually be. Brilliant.

[Chris Lawrence]

18 months for killing 15 people back in 1987? Something wrong with the time taken and the sentence given?

India's longest court case (not yet resolved) goes back 175 years!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5003438.stm

Yeah, I remember seeing a similar situation with property in OZ. The estate had not been handed back to its heirs and had been that way for 80-90 years!. Many thanks to our British based justice system. But this matter is a criminal case, Naam?