上周五，印度歷史上最老的囚犯、108歲的布利吉?比哈利?潘迪從北方邦一座監獄獲釋。據悉，潘迪是一名印度教教士，在他84歲那年為了爭奪一宗教機構的領袖繼承權，他伙同15名家人一舉殺害了四名競爭者，但直到2009年才被定罪入獄。由于年事已高，潘迪近來由于各種疾病，頻繁出入醫院治療。監獄長表示，照顧一名108歲的年邁囚犯變得越來越棘手，無奈之下只得向上級申請將其釋放出獄。獄方表示，此次將潘迪釋放完全是出于人道主義精神。

?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."

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(Agencies)

（中國日報網英語點津 Helen 編輯）