Madras High Court seeks report from Tamil Nadu, Puducherry on pending prisoner remission, premature release pleas

CHENNAI: Taking up the monitoring of the remission and premature release policies of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry governments, the Madras High Court directed both governments to file a report on the number of pending applications submitted by prisoners seeking release on these grounds.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had instructed all High Courts to suo motu monitor the policies of State governments regarding remission and premature release of prisoners convicted in criminal cases and lodged in prisons.

The Madras High Court, too, has initiated the monitoring suo motu. When the case came up for hearing before the bench of Justices P Velmurugan and M Jothiraman, the judges directed the State government of Tamil Nadu and the territorial government of Puducherry to submit a detailed report on remission and premature release applications.

The report should have details on the number of prisoners who were granted premature release, the number of pending applications, objections filed opposing premature release, and such petitions pending before the Governor and the State-level committee.

The bench also directed that the legal Services Authorities of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry be impleaded as respondents in the case, and adjourned the hearing to December 19 for further proceedings.