New Delhi: Supreme Court Tuesday stayed a Delhi HC order releasing Rashid Khan, convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for the March 1993 blast in Kolkata that killed 69 and injured more than 100 people just four days after underworld-triggered serial bomb blasts in Mumbai killed 257 and injured over 700 as retaliation for the Babri Masjid demolition in Dec 1992.Arguing West Bengal govt’s appeal against the HC verdict, additional solicitor general S V Raju told a bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Sanjeev Sachdeva that the mastermind of a heinous terrorism-related crime that resulted in a huge loss of lives did not deserve to be released.The bench asked Rashid to file a response to the state’s appeal by July 28, the next date of hearing, and said, “In the meanwhile, the operation of the impugned order shall remain stayed.”Appearing for the convict, senior advocate M R Shamshad said a co-convict, who was also sentenced to life imprisonment, had been granted remission of sentence and released from prison in 2014.Shamshad said Rashid had served 33 years with periodic permission to go to meet his family which he had scrupulously adhered to and reported back in prison. “His conduct in prison has been excellent and now he is suffering from various ailments even though his mental faculties remain intact,” he added.On Shamshad’s argument about a co-convict being released from prison, the bench said there could not be two masterminds.Rashid and others were convicted under Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2001. Explosives stored by Rashid, a satta don close to the then governing political party in West Bengal, had burst, gutting two buildings.Delhi HC’s Justice Neena Bansal Krishna in her June 5 judgment allowed the writ petition of Rashid, presently lodged at a correctional home in West Bengal, challenging WB Sentence Review Committee orders rejecting his plea for premature release.The HC had said, “A humane approach ought to be taken, because the most crucial and germane aspect amongst the various theories for punishment which are propounded, is the effect of reformation of the accused as part of retribution.”Get the latest India news and live updates. Download the TOI App.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos’Protectors Became Predators’: Dharmendra Pradhan Reacts To NEET Paper Leak Row, Student SuicidesTMC Expels Firhad Hakim, Arup Roy And Six Others As Mamata Cracks Down On Rebel CampUpto 80% Jump in Green Card Fee? Proposition Made; What Would Be Indians’ Stake?’Pakistan’s Desperate Attempt To Deflect’: India Snubs Khawaja Asif’s ‘War Over Indus’ RemarkAliganj Fire: Jyoti’s Brother Alleges Corruption, Seeks Murder Charges Against OfficialsMaharashtra RTI Rules 2026 Under Scrutiny: Anna Hazare Demands Changes; Signals Possible Strike’We Expect…’: India Reacts To Alleged Desecration Of Lord Ram Photo In BangladeshLucknow Fire: 15 Dead, No NOC, One Exit — India’s Decade-Long Fire Safety Failure ExplainedPune’s Ketan Agarwal’s Death Was No Accident: Police | Fiancée & Alleged Lover Arrested For MurderMinority Affairs MoS George Kurian Resigns; BJP Veteran’s Exit Sparks Kerala Political Buzz | Watch123PhotostoriesFrom Sanjeev Kapoor, Vikas Khanna to Harpal Singh Sokhi; Net worth of these celebrity chefsWhat lives inside your gut could shape your immunity, mood, and disease risk, and it could hold the blueprint to better healthFrom Rajgad to Lohagad: 5 must-visit forts in Maharashtra during the monsoon and what travellers should knowHow to train your brain to be happier: 10 simple habits that actually workEvery child needs these 4 social skills before age 10 to feel confident and includedWhat’s attracting tourists to Kodaikanal? 7 reasons this hill station continues to charm travellersSmiling depression: Doctor explains how some people use happiness as a mask10 classic Anglo-Saxon baby names that survived centuries of changeBigg Boss Malayalam 8: Celebrities netizens wish to see on the showLong-lived families reveal a rare genetic clue to healthy ageing; scientists say it may help explain why some people stay disease-free for years longer123Hot PicksPortugal World Cup RecordTaylor SwiftZlatan IbrahimovicTelangana school bandhCBSE 12th revaluationMaldivian wisdomSpanish proverbMalay proverbPortuguese proverbTop TrendingNBA Draft 2026US-Iran WarMac JonesFIFA World Cup 2026England vs Ghana FIFA World Cup ResultCUET UG Result 2026Ketan AgarwalGold rate todayDelhi weatherMumbai rain
New Delhi: Supreme Court Tuesday stayed a Delhi HC order releasing Rashid Khan, convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for the March 1993 blast in Kolkata that killed 69 and injured more than 100 people just four days after underworld-triggered serial bomb blasts in Mumbai killed 257 and injured over 700 as retaliation for the Babri Masjid demolition in Dec 1992.Arguing West Bengal govt’s appeal against the HC verdict, additional solicitor general S V Raju told a bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Sanjeev Sachdeva that the mastermind of a heinous terrorism-related crime that resulted in a huge loss of lives did not deserve to be released.The bench asked Rashid to file a response to the state’s appeal by July 28, the next date of hearing, and said, “In the meanwhile, the operation of the impugned order shall remain stayed.”Appearing for the convict, senior advocate M R Shamshad said a co-convict, who was also sentenced to life imprisonment, had been granted remission of sentence and released from prison in 2014.Shamshad said Rashid had served 33 years with periodic permission to go to meet his family which he had scrupulously adhered to and reported back in prison. “His conduct in prison has been excellent and now he is suffering from various ailments even though his mental faculties remain intact,” he added.On Shamshad’s argument about a co-convict being released from prison, the bench said there could not be two masterminds.Rashid and others were convicted under Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2001. Explosives stored by Rashid, a satta don close to the then governing political party in West Bengal, had burst, gutting two buildings.Delhi HC’s Justice Neena Bansal Krishna in her June 5 judgment allowed the writ petition of Rashid, presently lodged at a correctional home in West Bengal, challenging WB Sentence Review Committee orders rejecting his plea for premature release.The HC had said, “A humane approach ought to be taken, because the most crucial and germane aspect amongst the various theories for punishment which are propounded, is the effect of reformation of the accused as part of retribution.”
