High court steps in on Uklana murder case, grants couple interim bail
Big update: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has given interim bail to Sonia Poonia and her husband Sanjeev Kumar, who were jailed for a 2001 family murder case in Uklana.
The court wasn't impressed with Haryana's refusal to release Sonia early, calling the state's decision "patently perverse, illegal and unsustainable in the eyes of law."
Now, the court wants their case reviewed under an older release policy—within two months.
What led to this?
Sonia and Kumar were sentenced to death in 2004 for conspiring to kill eight family members over property disputes. Their sentences were later reduced to life imprisonment in 2014.
Sonia has already been behind bars for over 23 years—way past the minimum needed for a conduct review.
The judge pointed out that Haryana relied on outdated jail records and overstepped by re-examining old trial evidence instead of fairly considering early release.
Both are expected to walk out of Hisar Central Jail soon after paperwork is done.