W.P.(CRL) 2657/2026 $~99 * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI # CNR No. DLHC010410812026 + W.P.(CRL) 2657/2026 RAJU & ORS. .....Petitioners Through: Mr. Chetan Bhardwaj & Mr. Priyal Bhardwaj, Advocates. versus STATE GNCT OF DELHI .....Respondent Through: Mr. Sanjay Lao, Senior Advocate with Ms. Manjeet Arya, APP for State, Mr. Abhinav Kumar, Mr. Anjan Sachdeva & Mr. Priyam Agrawal, Advocates. SI Ankur, PS Sultanpuri CORAM: HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE PRATEEK JALAN O R D E R % 02.09.2026 1. By way of this writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution, the petitioners seek consideration for pre-mature release in an upcoming meeting of the Sentence Review Board [“SRB”]. The petitioners have been convicted of offences under Sections 302/307/452/34 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, in connection with FIR No. 1196/2007, registered at Police Station Sultan Puri, Delhi, and are undergoing life sentence. 2. Issue notice. Ms. Manjeet Arya, learned Additional Public Prosecutor, accepts notice on behalf of the State. 3. Mr. Chetan Bhardwaj, learned counsel for the petitioners, submits that the each of the petitioners has undergone more than 18 years of actual custody, and has not suffered any jail punishment. He submits that This is a digitally signed order. The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 07/09/2026 at 14:07:30 W.P.(CRL) 2657/2026 the petitioners’ cases were last considered by the SRB in its meeting held on 16.10.2025, and despite the lapse of the requisite minimum period of six months since then, they have not been considered again by the SRB. 4. Mr. Sanjay Lao, learned Senior Counsel for the State, submits that an effort will be made to place the case of the petitioners in the very next meeting of the SRB, but if that is not possible, he undertakes that the petitioners’ case will be considered in the next meeting to be held thereafter. 5. As no further orders are sought in this writ petition, the writ petition is disposed of, in view of the above submissions. 6. Mr. Lao has brought to the attention of this Court that there are several cases in which, by virtue of Court orders, SRB is required to consider the case of convicts for pre-mature release, leading to pendency of several matters in each meeting of the SRB. He states that at present, the meetings of SRB are held on a quarterly basis. Mr. Lao is requested to take up the matter at the appropriate level in the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi, to consider whether meetings of the SRB can be convened at shorter intervals, so that matters of this nature do not remain pending for an inordinate period. 7. Copy of this order be communicated to the concerned Jail Superintendent electronically for information and necessary compliance. PRATEEK JALAN, J SEPTEMBER 2, 2026 ‘pv’/MK/ This is a digitally signed order. The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 07/09/2026 at 14:07:30