Premature release of prisoners: GO contradicts Chief Minister’s announcement

The February 1 GO states that those who were above 60 of years and had completed five years in jail, were also eligible for premature release, if they fulfilled other conditions. The eligible prisoners under this category were likely to be released on the occasion of the birth anniversary of late chief minister J Jayalalithaa on February 24. 

But Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami had on December 31, 2017 announced in Dindigul that the government was considering the release of life convicts who had completed 10 years in jail on humanitarian grounds but within the framework of the laws of the land. 

The February 1 GO stated, “The life convicts who have completed 10 years of actual imprisonment as on  February 25, 2018 and the life convicts who are aged 60 years and above and who have completed five years of actual imprisonment on February 25, including those who were originally sentenced to death by the trial court and modified to life sentences by the appellate court (other than those whose conviction have been commuted) may be considered for premature release subject to satisfaction of conditions”. 

Some of the conditions for the prisoners included satisfactory behaviour, his or her case should not be tried under the central act, his or her life should be safe if released and the family should be ready to accept the released prisoner. 

The GO also noted that convicts punished for rape, forgery, robbery, dacoity, offence against the state, escape from lawful custody, cruelty against women, economic offences, selling illicit arrack, habitual forest offence, immoral traffic, those imprisoned under the Prevention of Corruption Act, terror cases and drug cases, were not eligible for release.