Bowbazar blast convict's early release on hold
The Calcutta High Court has put a pause on the early release of Md Khalid, who was convicted for his role in the 1993 Bowbazar blast that killed 70 people.
This move comes after the state challenged a previous court order from April this year that would have let Khalid out early.
The judges agreed with the State Sentence Review Board, which had flagged serious concerns about Khalid's past criminal associations and the risk of future criminal activity.
Court agrees with state on Khalid's release
Authorities—including Kolkata Police—warned that letting Khalid out could threaten public safety and even put witnesses at risk.
The Review Board specifically pointed to his links with Rashid Khan, another convict from the same case.
Given how serious the original crime was and these new concerns, the court decided keeping Khalid behind bars was reasonable.