HOPES of elderly Pakistani national Mohammad Khalil Chishti to return home after 20 years were dashed on Tuesday when the Rajasthan High Court rejected his appeal for release on humanitarian grounds, upholding his life imprisonment in a murder case.

A division bench of the court dismissed Dr Chishti's appeal against the order of a lower court in Ajmer convicting him in the murder case after a trial lasting 18 years.

Dr Chishti, 81, was on ball during the long trial but was arrested and sent to Ajmer jail after conviction early this year. The bench rejected his appeal as being devoid of 'merits'.