Supreme Court issues landmark ruling on fixed-term life sentences

New Delhi — The Supreme Court has delivered a significant ruling on fixed-term life imprisonment, stating that if a convict is awarded life imprisonment for a specified period—such as 20 years—they are entitled to immediate release once that term is completed.

A bench of Justice B.V. Nagarathna and Justice K.V. Viswanathan observed that denying release after completion of the fixed term would effectively mean the convict spends their entire life in prison, defeating the purpose of the sentence’s defined duration. Sukhdev Pehalwan, convicted in the 2002 Nitish Katara murder case, was sentenced to life imprisonment for 20 years.

Having served his full sentence by March 2025, the Supreme Court had ordered his release on July 29. However, the Sentence Review Board blocked his release, citing his conduct and behaviour in jail.

Challenging the Board’s decision, Sukhdev filed a petition before the apex court. On August 12, the court ruled in his favour, reinforcing that once a fixed life term is over, release is mandatory unless there is a specific legal ground to extend imprisonment.