Bengaluru: 81 eligible prisoners lodged in various prisons throughout the State were released on Monday August 15 as part of the 76th Independence Day celebrations. Three among those released are women.

The Ministry of Home Affairs had issued guidelines to identify eligible convict prisoners by creating a State Level Screening Committee (SLSC), and had proposed to give special remission to certain categories of prisoners and release them in three phases – August 15, 2022 (Independence Day), January 26, 2023 (Republic Day), and August 15, 2023 (Independence Day).

As a result, in the first phase, the SLSC had recommended the release of 81 eligible convicts and submitted its recommendations to the State Cabinet. Up to 81 convicts were released on Monday after receiving the governor’s approval.