Punjab to review premature release of rape convicts

The Punjab and Haryana high court has been informed that the Punjab government, in its cabinet meeting on January 27, would do a re-look into the circular on the premature release of life convicts, including rape convicts.

The Punjab and Haryana high court has been informed that the Punjab government, in its cabinet meeting on January 27, would do a re-look into the circular on the premature release of life convicts, including rape convicts.

The court was also told that pursuant to the high court directions on January 8, the police had filed a challan before the Patiala court on January 17 in the Patiala gangrape case in which the victim, a minor, had later committed suicide. The high court had taken suo motu notice of the incident on December 28 last year and had on January 8 directed the special investigation team to complete the probe within 10 days.

The victim was abducted from Samana in Patiala district and later gangraped on November 13 last year. She had committed suicide on December 26, 2012.

Advocate HC Arora had filed a public interest litigation in the high court, on which the court had on January 8 suggested to the state government to withdraw the circular on premature release of rape convicts "in view of the prevailing atmosphere in the country".

On this, the division bench comprising chief justice Arjan Kumar Sikri and justice Rakesh Kumar Jain made the observation that the case needed to be put on the fast track for its early disposal.

The case would now come up for hearing on February 7.