A death row convict who was acquitted by Calcutta High court and three
lifers whose jail sentences have been reduced to seven years’ imprisonment in the Kamduni rape and murder case stepped out of Presidency Correctional Home around 9pm on Monday.
Sources in the jail said they received the “release documents” late in the afternoon.
“Once we received the release documents, all the formalities were completed and the four were released,” said a senior official in the state correctional services department.
As the four stepped out of the jail on a deserted road in Alipore, a lone car was waiting for them, which they boarded and left the place. There was no confirmation from the police about their destination on Monday night.
Those who were released were: Amin Ali, whose death penalty was commuted to acquittal; and Emanul Islam, Aminur Islam and Bholanath Naskar, who have already spent 10 years in jail, which is more than their term of conviction (seven years).
The last three, who have been found guilty of criminal conspiracy and causing the disappearance of evidence, have been fined Rs 10,000 each. Sources said the process of submission of the fine amounts in the court was started on Monday.
“All four have been released from Presidency Correctional Home,” said one of the defence lawyers, Feroze Edulji.
The state has already moved the Supreme Court against the high court order. Villagers of Kamduni will hold a march in Calcutta on Tuesday demanding stricter punishment for all the accused.
According to the rule, the order of the higher court has to be served to the trial court, which will issue an order communicating the change in the quantum of punishment, if any, to the correctional home where the accused or convict is lodged.
An official said a certified copy of Friday’s order by the division bench of Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Ajay Kumar Gupta was served before the trial court on Monday.