Prison authorities in India have released the country's oldest inmate, a 108-year-old man serving a life sentence for murder.

Brij Pandey was released Friday from prison in northern Uttar Pradesh state on humanitarian grounds.

Pandey, a Hindu priest, was 84 years old when he was charged, along with 15 others, for his part in the murder of four people in a clash stemming from the appointment of a rival as chief priest of a temple.

After a trial lasting more than two decades, Pandey was convicted in 2009 and sent to Gorakhpur jail. But he spent most of his time in prison bed-ridden and was frequently rushed to the hospital.