More than 400 convicts lodged in Delhi’s three jails are set to have their sentences remitted or reduced for showing good conduct during incarceration.
The decision comes days after the city government accepted the Delhi Prisons’ proposal, moved every year on the occasion of Republic Day.
“The Delhi government has issued orders on special remission for inmates in view of Republic Day. We are in the process of identifying the convicts who have shown good conduct. Over 400 to 450 inmates will benefit this year,” said DG (Prisons) Sandeep Goel. However, inmates who have been convicted of heinous crimes like rape and terror-related cases are barred from availing themselves of remission.
Inmates who have to serve a jail term which is less than their remission period will be released immediately, said an officer. So far, three convicts have walked free after reduction of their sentence, he said.
Granting remission is a discretionary power of the State government under Section 432 of CrPC where it can at any time suspend the execution of the convict’s sentence or remit the punishment.
According to the official criteria, for convicts above the age of 65 years and for women prisoners, those undergoing a sentence above 10 years are granted a three-month remission, those serving a sentence between five and 10 years are given a two-month remission, those undergoing a sentence between a year and five years are granted a one-month remission while inmates undergoing sentence up to a year are granted a 20-day remission period.
Prisoners undergoing a sentence above 10 years are granted 60 days’ remission while a 45-day remission is given to inmates undergoing a sentence between five to 10 years, 30 days’ remission is given to those serving a sentence between a year and five years, and for prisoners undergoing a sentence till a year are granted a 15-day reduction in sentence.
There are more than 1,500 convicts lodged in Delhi’s jails, out of which 1,516 are men while 53 are women.
Encourages others
Mr. Goel said the remission process acts as a reward for a convict’s good behaviour and encourages other inmates to rehabilitate themselves. “It’s a reward for good conduct and encourages the convicts to be well behaved and refrain from any wrong activity…in this way, it helps in their reformation,” he said.
Meanwhile, prison officers said the national flag was unfurled on Republic Day at the prison headquarters and also individually in all the jails. A band of prison inmates, in jail number 2, also performed on the occasion, an officer said “Models of helicopters and fighter planes were made by the inmates of the arts and crafts group of jail number 8 and 9. These models were made with cardboard, plastic and other waste material,” Mr. Goel added.
