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State govt to free 150 prisoners on I-Day
Maharashtra government to release around 150 prisoners on Independence Day as part of special remission scheme for convicts over 60, disabled, and those who have completed 50% of sentence. Excludes death sentence/commuted to life, rape/child abuse/terrorism convicts, drug offenders, and counterfeit currency cases.
Mumbai: The home department of the Maharashtra government has decided to release around 150 prisoners on Independence Day (August 15) as part of a special remission scheme which was announced by the Ministry of Home Affairs in June 2022 to celebrate Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
The state freed 206 prisoners on Independence Day last year and 189 prisoners on Republic Day this year. The prisoners who would qualify for premature release as part of the special remission scheme include male convicts over 60 years, female/transgenders over 50 years, disabled prisoners and those who have completed 50% of their sentence.
Prisoners serving death sentences or commuted to life, guilty of rape, child abuse, or terrorism; ones convicted for drug offences, and counterfeit currency cases are not considered for remission.
The list of prisoners to be released as part of the special remission schemes will now be sent to the Governor Ramesh Bais for his final nod before the official announcement in August. This list also includes prisoners with terminal illnesses and indigents who have not been able to pay the fine even after the completion of the term and are considered for remission.
The notification stated, “The remission applies to the specific categories of convicted prisoners who have consistently maintained good conduct and who have not been punished during the convict period in the last three years.”
“The ones who have been selected have been convicted for relatively smaller crimes like theft, chain snatching etc. The convicts in group crime are also not considered for remission. Though they are released on special remission we are afraid that they will come back after some time as they are habitual offenders or they have no means of proper rehabilitation,” said an official from the home department.
The officer said that this is the third and final phase of the special remission drive.
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