上周五，印度历史上最老的囚犯、108岁的布利吉•比哈利•潘迪从北方邦一座监狱获释。据悉，潘迪是一名印度教教士，在他84岁那年为了争夺一宗教机构的领袖继承权，他伙同15名家人一举杀害了四名竞争者，但直到2009年才被定罪入狱。由于年事已高，潘迪近来由于各种疾病，频繁出入医院治疗。监狱长表示，照顾一名108岁的年迈囚犯变得越来越棘手，无奈之下只得向上级申请将其释放出狱。狱方表示，此次将潘迪释放完全是出于人道主义精神。

Brij Bihari Pandey, 108, is assisted by relatives following his release from the Gorakhpur district prison in Gorakhpur on Friday.

Prison authorities in India have released the country's oldest inmate, 108-year-old Brij Bihari Pandey, who was convicted of a murder he committed at the age of 84, officials said Saturday.

Pandey, a Hindu priest, was freed on Friday by a court in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh on humanitarian grounds as prison officials were finding it difficult to provide regular medical treatment to the "oldest prisoner in the history of Indian prisons."

"It was getting difficult to take care of a 108-year-old prisoner. We moved an application for his release and the court accepted it," said S.K. Sharma, superintendent of Gorakhpur Jail, 300 kilometres (190 miles) from the state capital Lucknow.

Sharma said the release was based on humanitarian grounds.

At the ripe old age of 84, Pandey along with 15 others, many of them his nephews and family members, killed four people over the inheritance of a Hindu religious institution.

In 2009, he was convicted and sent to Gorakhpur Jail but the weak and infirm centenarian convict had to be frequently rushed to hospital and was mostly bed-ridden.

Pandey expressed delight over his release Friday by smiling and giving a warm hug to his fellow inmates, who in turn garlanded him.

Jail officials said he received the garland with a broad smile and said, "God is great. Thank you."

相关阅读

过去30年印度1200万女胎被流产

印度防私奔 未婚女性禁用手机

印度生物识别考勤 促办公效率

(Agencies)

（中国日报网英语点津 Helen 编辑）