Release of 260 life convicts faces Supreme Court order hurdle

 

The Prison Department has cleared the names of 260 life convicts, including two women lifers, who have spent more than 14 years with remission in jail for premature release and have sent their files to the Home Department for approval. But the government cannot process them until it gets a clearance from the apex court.

 

Last month, the Supreme Court, hearing the Centre’s petition, which challenged the Tamil Nadu government’s decision to release the seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case after cutting their prison terms short, had directed the states not to release life convicts prematurely.

 

Additional Director General of Police and Inspector General of Prisons K.V. Gagandeep told Deccan Chronicle that the advisory boards, which were set up at all the eight central prisons in Karnataka to screen and finalise the names of life convicts, who have spent a prison sentence of more than 14 years with remission have finalised the names of 260 lifers and has sent their files to the government.

 

“But the Supreme Court order does not allow for any premature release of life convicts, so we will have to wait till the state gets a clearance from the apex court,” he said.

 

ADGP and Home Secretary Praveen Sood said that the government will present its case before the Supreme Court and seek exemption from its July order. “We are in the process of appealing before the Supreme Court seeking exemption,” said Mr Sood.

 

Barring 2006, on the 50th anniversary of Karnataka, when the then H.D. Kumaraswamy government had pardoned 309 life convicts on grounds of consistent good behaviour, ill-health and report from the jurisdictional superintendents of police that their release would not harm society, there have been no en masse release of convicts in the State.