NewsKarnataka-Bangalore

Bangalore : The Siddaramaiah led Congress Government in the state has  approved a four page report on Guidelines that are to be laid down for release  of  prisoners with a sound track record well before the end of their jail term. The report named ‘Guidelines for Premature Release of Certain Categories of Prisoners Sentenced to Life’ was approved by the State Cabinet presided by the CM on January 3, Friday.

As per it, the Government will have a committee led by Principal  Secretary or Secretary of the Home Department to deice on the release of prisoners and would review the proposals made.

Here it is worth mentioning that thousands of prisoners who have been sentenced to life and have completed 14 years in prison  are still behind bars despite good conduct.

The Guidelines will now be sent to the Governor  for his approval as he  has the power to grant pardon, suspend, remit or commute sentences of convicts in certain cases under Article 161.

The then H D Kumaraswamy-led JD(S)-BJP regime in the year 2006 had pardoned 309 convicts on the grounds of good conduct, ill-health and such other parameters on the occasion of the 50th Rajyotsava.

Though in the year  2010, the State Government had sent a list  of 594 convicts  as many as three times to the Governor, the latter had  returned the files   asking to  give him details of the cases, history of the convicts and the SC  judgement pertaining to remission of life sentence.