NEW DELHI: The Indian Supreme Court announced its verdict of releasing 80-year-old Pakistani virologist Dr Khalil Chishti in a 1992 murder case on Wednesday, reported Express News.
According to an NDTV report, the court said that Dr Chishti has already spent one year and four months in prison and further custody is not required.
Indian journalist Kunal Shankar told Express News that according to the Supreme Court’s judgement, the prosecution’s evidence was contradictory and was not trustworthy. The evidence did not establish the crime against Dr Chishti, said Shankar.
The court did not find common intent on part of Dr Chishti under the Indian law, he added.
Earlier, the Indian Supreme Court had permitted Dr Chishti to return to Pakistan on “compassionate grounds” but on the condition that he would return to Indian custody on November 1, so it can hear his appeal against conviction in a murder case on November 20.
Dr Chishti was sentenced for killing a man during a brawl in Ajmer in April 1992. He was on a pilgrimage to the shrine of famous Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti.
After a prolonged trial that has stretched for almost 18 years, Dr Chishti was found guilty in a murder case and was awarded a life sentence on January 31 last year by a sessions court in Ajmer. The time he spent in jail while being tried was not considered to be included in his sentencing.
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@Zain: no its after 14 months in jail not 18 years.
@muhammad yasin:
no its after 14 months in jail.. no too bad ! Its certainly a good gesture by India but still lot needs to be done, they should remove visa restrictions between India & Pakistan like the Europe has done it and it has helped countries like Germany, France, UK to put end to this long hatred and border hostilities for good. Hatred only brings hatred. Love will bring love. Simple logic ! may Allah bless the entire region with peace. No more wars please, it only takes innocent lives for false prestige, nothing else comes out of it really.
@joy: Pakistanis made what Pakistan is today. Pakistanis tried to make Afghanistan a true Islamic Emirates by creating talibans. Afghanis may now use non-State actors to make Pakistan a true Islamic country, if Pakistan does not stop interfering in Afghanistan affairs.
@True Picture": India is a big country but with a small heart." these are the attitudes which have made Pakistan what it has become today.....
Good judgement. The Courts in India are known for their fairnes and independance and their judgements are on priciples without any concern about any reactions from any quarters. In Pakistan our courts, especially, the Supreme Court is more concern about its popularity graph and the CJ about his personal fame and name and glory. This reflects in the loaded decisions / verditc / orders they give----quality and acceptance and respect is obvious.
who will pay for his one and half years expense in Indian Jail?
@Erwin: Its 2012 now! you guys will remain stuck up in 71 era. you guys are good at diverting the topic in discussion elsewhere :) fact remains, Indian government has never been good as a host, people are generally nice there but your government is not so since they usually send us our citizens in either mentally challenged state of mind or in coffins. India is a big country but with a small heart.
The only terrorist tried and convicted to hang isan Indian in Pakistan. Congratulations.
@True Picture: I am surprised by your ignorance. Check the facts thoroughly before jumping to conclusion. Also visit the Web to see what your brave army did to a outnumbered and surrendered Indian army officer Captain Kalia and his team. There are so many such examples on the web on the braveness exhibited by your army men. Just imagine if we had done the same to the 90thousand pak army soldiers surrendered to us in 1971. Good Luck and be truthful in what you say.
@muhammad yasin: plz dont like us with u everywhere.........
Who will tell the factual story. How did the man die. Who killed him. Indian Judiciary is should inquire into the matter. The man did not commit suicide. So who killed him?
shows typical blind biased mentality of indians comparing the case of dr. chisti with sarabjeet a proven terrorist like qasab. Sarabjeet should be hanged t death immediately but the corrupt government is a hurdle in deliverance of justice. Indian judicial system made an innocent senle man suffered for 18 years while Pakistan regularly releases indian fishermen who eep plundering Pakistan's marine resources while hundreds of Pakistani fishermen are languishing in indian jails and many of them have died of the torture on them by indian authorities
Glad to hear that he's finally going to comeback to Pakistan ALIVE or else we usually get a dead body from across the border, remember the guy who went to watch the Pak-Ind cricket match? he was arrested & they sent his dead body to us.
Does he qualify as a "Technocrat" ? Just asking.
Congratulations to Dr Khalil Chishti for his release. However his protracted trial spanning 18 years shows that investigation and justice system in india is no different than pakistan.
For Release of Sarabjit !! Simple logic !
Please set this old man free immediately. Indian Courts sleep like Rip Van Winkle for years but always wake up to deliver the right verdict. Better late than never but Judiciary should stick to the maxim "Justice delayed is Justice denied".
This is a good news which would open doors for Sarabjit's release who though totally innocent has spent more than 20 years in Pakistani jails.
Chishti's case is a classic example of the bitterness between India and Pakistan. Someone died in a "brawl", why not blame it on an easy target?
Condolences to the family of the dead, I hope they get real justice some day.