The Delhi High Court, on Friday, released Sushil Sharma, who was accused in the 1995 Tandoor Murder Case.
The court said, “He is incarcerated for over 25 years including remission. A murder itself is brutal. He has already served the sentence. Does it not infringe upon his human rights, which are inalienable rights. The Sentence Review Board (SRB) cannot say no no this murder was brutal, so we will not release him.”
Sushil Sharma, a 56 year old former Youth Congress leader, allegedly killed his wife, Naina Sahni, in 1995, over an illegitimate relationship with another man. He chopped Naina’s body into pieces and burnt it in a restaurant’s tandoor. This case came to be known as the ‘1995 Tandoor Murder Case.’ However, there is no evidence of Sushil chopping his wife’s body. Sushil Sharma served 25 years of imprisonment in a Delhi jail.
Sushil Sharma plead the court for his release as he served more than 29 years in jail. Amit Sahni, Mr. Sharma’s advocate, highlighted the guidelines regarding premature release. He said, “Life convicts sentenced for a single offence are to be released after completion of 20 years of incarceration and those who had committed heinous crimes are to be granted relief after 25 years.”
In 2003, a City Court gave death punishment to Sushil, which was later confirmed by the Delhi High Court in 2007. However, in 2013, the Supreme Court cancelled his death punishment and sentenced him to life imprisonment, as they did not have any evidence proving he chopped his wife.
