The State Cabinet on Friday approved guidelines aimed at the premature release of certain categories of prisoners who, although sentenced for life, have completed 14 years in prison and have maintained a good conduct.
The Cabinet approved the four-page booklet, “Guidelines for premature release of certain categories of prisoners sentenced to life”, based on the Supreme Court’s order and the Governor’s suggestions. A committee, headed by the Principal Secretary, Department of Home, will identify prisoners for premature release. The committee would review the proposals case by case and submit its recommendations to the Cabinet and thereafter, will place them before the Governor for clearance.
On an earlier occasion, the Governor has rejected a list of prisoners to be released on Independence Day, while directing the government to evolve guidelines.
Briefing presspersons on the Cabinet decisions, Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs T.B. Jayachandra on Friday said that these guidelines would be extended to such prisoners who have been tried by courts in the State and are in prisons in the State.
The guidelines would apply to such prisoners who have had a record of good behaviour during their imprisonment and parole, and by the release of whom, there would be no disturbance to public order, law and order, and no threat to the family of victims as also no threat to the life of the released prisoner. These guidelines should be based on the report of the Advisory Board of the district concerned.
He said that guidelines should apply to eligible persons subject to the various conditions, including the one where their cases did not fall under Section 435 of the Criminal Procedure Code, and that they should execute bonds of surety as per terms and conditions.
Mr. Jayachandra said that the guidelines would not be applicable to prisoners convicted for offences against laws relating to a matter to which the executive powers of the Union government extends; offences related to communal incidents; murder, convicted under Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act 1985; Explosive Substances Act 1908, Indian Explosives Act 1884, Indian Arms Act 1959, those convicted under the Essential Commodities Act, Protection of Civil Rights Act 1955, kidnap, Karnataka Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Bootleggers, Drug Offenders, Gamblers, Goondas, Immoral Traffic Offenders and Slum Grabbers Act 1985.
The guidelines would not be applicable to prisoners convicted for offences against children, cases related to economic offences, including forest/mines and mineral resources, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989, rape, forgery, dacoity and terrorism, smuggling, immoral trafficking in women and children, he said.
The additional director-general of police and inspector-general of prisons, Bangalore, would send the list of eligible convicts as per the guidelines in the prescribed format.
