‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’: Bihar govt plans special remissions for prisoners

The MHA has asked all state governments and Union Territories to give special remission to certain categories of convicted prisoners above 50 years with overall good conduct, especially those not punished in the last three years

The Bihar government has planned to release a section of prisoners who have served half their jail terms to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the country’s independence. The decision was taken during a cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Nitish Kumar on Friday. The state has nearly 59 prisons, which include central, district and open jails, where more than 68,580 people, including 3,051 female inmates, are lodged.

Inmates of a prison in India. (HT File Photo)

The state home department had sent a guideline to district magistrates (DMs), asking them to submit their reports on August 8. The district-level committee, comprising the DM, civil surgeon, district prosecution officer and jail superintendent, has been instructed to review records of prisoners and identify eligible ones to grant the special remission.

The committee will ensure that notorious criminals, repeat offenders and those who fall into prohibited categories are not considered for special remission.

“The screening committee of state home department will hold a meeting on August 8 under the chairmanship of additional home secretary Chaitnya Prasad, who will approve DM’s proposal and send it to the chief minister and governor Phagu Chauhan for their consideration and approval,” said Jitendra Srivastava, IG of prisons and correctional services.

“We will finalise the names and the list within the next two days,” Srivastava added. These inmates will be released on August 15, after the home department made the recommendations to the chief minister, who also holds the home minister’s portfolio. In the second and the third phases, more prisoners will be released on January 26, 2023 and August 15, 2023.

The Union ministry of home affairs (MHA) has asked all state governments and Union Territories to give special remission to certain categories of convicted prisoners above 50 years with overall good conduct, especially those not punished in the last three years. The scheme, the MHA said, does not apply to those prisoners who were convicted with death sentence, life imprisonment, rape, terror charges, dowry deaths and money laundering cases.