Priyadarshini Mattoo’s family calls on Delhi Home Minister

New Delhi, July 23: The family of rape and murder victim Priyadarshini Mattoo, along with the founding members of the Justice for Priyadarshini Mattoo campaign—launched in 2006 met with Delhi Home Minister Ashish Sood today to urge him not to permit the release of convicted rapist and murderer Santosh Kumar Singh from Tihar Jail under any circumstances.As per the statement issued, the final decision on the convict’s release rests with Minister Sood being the Chairperson of the Sentence Review Board. “It is imperative that the Board uphold the principles of justice and public safety by denying any leniency to a man convicted of such a brutal and premeditated crime,” reads the statement.Santosh Kumar Singh’s previous plea for early release had rightly been rejected by the Sentence Review Board. However, the Delhi High Court has since sent the matter back for reconsideration. “We believe this is a moment of critical moral responsibility—to ensure that the integrity of the justice system is not undermined and that the voice of the victim and the collective conscience of the nation are not ignored.”