The Supreme Court hearing was based on a special leave petition filed by the West Bengal government. File picture
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The Supreme Court on Tuesday (June 23, 2026) stayed a Delhi High Court decision to prematurely release a 78-year-old man serving a life sentence for the 1993 Bowbazar blast case that left 69 people dead in Kolkata.
A Bench of Justices P.K. Mishra and Sanjeev Sachdeva orally remarked that the actions of Rashid Khan amounted to “almost a terrorist activity” and he had played the “role of a mastermind”.
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The apex court hearing was based on a special leave petition filed by the West Bengal government, represented by Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju, who objected to the apparently “reformative” approach taken by the High Court in a case concerning serious offences which led to multiple deaths of innocent persons.
When the counsel for Mr. Khan submitted that a co-accused had secured remission way back in 2014, Justice Sachdeva said that “people have different roles” and “his [Khan] role is that of a mastermind”.
The defence counsel, who accepted the apex court notice on the petition filed by the State, argued that Khan’s health was bad. He had been imprisoned for about 33 years, and his conduct had been excellent throughout. The case was kept for further hearing in early July.
The State had earlier pointed out that the High Court allowed remission to Khan on June 5 despite repeated refusals by the State Sentence Review Board to his pleas for premature release.
Khan was convicted on August 31, 2001 for offences under the Indian Penal Code, the Explosives Act and the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) in connection with the March 16, 1993 blasts that struck a densely populated area of Kolkata. Since his arrest in 1993, he has remained behind bars.
The High Court had directed Khan’s premature release, holding that the period of incarceration already undergone was sufficient to meet the objectives of punishment and deterrence.
Published – June 23, 2026 04:00 pm IST
