NEW DELHI — In a landmark judgment delivered on January 30, 2026 (uploaded Tuesday, February 3), the Delhi High Court ordered the immediate release of Harpreet Singh, a former member of the elite President’s Bodyguard (PBG). Singh had served over 21 years of a life sentence for the brutal 2003 gang rape of a 17-year-old Delhi University student in Buddha Jayanti Park.
1. The Verdict: “Reverse Metamorphosis”
Justice Neena Bansal Krishna delivered a poignant order that challenged the retributive nature of long-term incarceration.
- The Kafka Reference: The judge compared Singh’s situation to Franz Kafka’s Gregor Samsa, stating that the State had viewed him perpetually as the “gigantic insect of 2003” rather than the reformed man of 2025.
- Reformative Justice: The court held that the Sentence Review Board (SRB) had acted with “bureaucratic lethargy,” repeatedly rejecting Singh’s release (12 times since 2016) based solely on the “heinousness” of the original crime.
- Key Quote: “To allow the heinousness of a past act to act as a permanent bar to remission is to transform a life sentence into a retributive death by incarceration.”
2. The Reform Track Record
The court emphasized that Singh’s journey from a “public servant who fell into crime” to a model prisoner justified his freedom:
- Clean Conduct: He maintained an unblemished record for 21 years of actual imprisonment.
- Commendations: He earned multiple certificates of recognition for hard work and discipline within prison walls.
- Total Time: Including remissions, Singh has completed over 25 years of his sentence as of early 2026.
3. Flashback: The 2003 Buddha Jayanti Case
The case remains one of Delhi’s most infamous crimes due to the perpetrators’ roles as elite guards.
- The Crime: On October 6, 2003, four PBG members in military uniforms used a military truck to intercept a DU student and her friend.
- The Conviction: In 2009, Harpreet Singh and Satender Singh were sentenced to life for gang rape. Two others, Kuldeep Singh and Munesh Kumar, received 10-year terms for kidnapping and robbery.
- Current Status: While Harpreet has been ordered released, a similar plea for premature release by the second life convict, Satender Singh, remains pending before the High Court.
4. Impact on the Sentence Review Board (SRB)
The High Court’s order serves as a sharp critique of how the SRB evaluates life convicts:
- “Copy-Paste” Orders: The court slammed the SRB for using stereotypical reasoning that ignored positive reports from jail authorities and probation officers.
- Standard Policy: The court noted that Singh had surpassed the thresholds set by the Delhi Government’s 2004 policy, which allows for premature release consideration after 14 years of actual service.