Bengaluru: They finally gave up on life after a long futile wait for justice, which lasted more than 14 years behind the iron bars of dreary prisons. Of the 260 life convicts, who were shortlisted and cleared last year by the Prisons Department for ‘premature’ release, two of them – S.P. Nagaraj alias Chikkavanu (convict number 248), son of Putte Kempegowda, and Suresh (convict number 1824), son of Narasimaiah, committed suicide, while they were out on parole.
“The names of Nagaraj and Suresh were on the list after the Department cleared them for premature release. The list was submitted to the government in 2014, but because of the July 9 Supreme Court order on a blanket stay against state governments using their power of remission under Sections 432, 433 of the CrPC to release life convicts the recommendations had to be put on hold. Nagaraj committed suicide on July 23 last year and Suresh ended his life on April 17 this year, while they were out on parole to meet their families. They were in judicial custody in the Central Prison, Bengaluru. They had spent more than 14 years in various prisons in the state and had clean records post-conviction,” said an official source, who added that the reason behind their suicide was not known.
The Prison Department has subsequently deleted the names of the two ‘deserving’ convicts from the list of 260 lifers, which has been submitted to the government after the Supreme Court on July 23 this year restored to state governments their discretion to grant liberty to life convicts subject to conditions. “We are awaiting the government order,” said the officer.
In compliance with the apex court guidelines the lifers, who have been recommended for premature release have completed more than 14 years with remission in the prison; have not been tried under Central laws such as Terrorist & Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) or by a Central agency like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and have a record of good behaviour during the prison term.
