VIBHA VERMA

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PANJIM: Three convicts are set to get an early release next month under the Centre’s amnesty scheme during the year-long celebrations to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi beginning October 2.

Convicts in culpable homicide not amounting to murder Rahul Naik, a Goan; Sujit Kumar Singh of Uttar Pradesh and Parmesh Lamani from Karnataka will enjoy the special remission as, according to the norms they have completed half the sentence. The decision was taken by a six-member Board on Special Remission of Sentence after the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to set free such prisoners in jails across the country. 

The Board chaired by Chief Secretary Dharmendra Sharma is, however, waiting for a reply from the Prisons Officials in Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka to ascertain if Singh and Lamani’s families are willing to accept them. 

“The three life convicts have barely few months to complete their sentence period and as such, their names were on top list for special remission. To confirm if their families are ready to accept them, we sent an official communiqué to the jail superintendents in UP and Karnataka but they haven’t responded to the Board yet,” said an officer, explaining that if families of the respective prisoners refuse to accept their responsibility, their release order will be revoked. The family of the Goan prisoner will soon be approached through a proper procedure, he said. 

Information with Herald reveals that Goa has 158 convicts, including 10 females, out of whom 80, including four females, are serving life sentences. Therefore, the committee disqualified them as per the extant guidelines. 

Out of the remaining 78 convicts comprising six females, a senior officer said, only one women convict is above 55 years but since her conviction is in a drug trafficking offence, the committee has found her ineligible. “The Special Remission of Sentence committee found these three (Naik, Singh and Lamani) were not falling under the prohibitory category as they have also completed two-thirds of their actual sentence period,” he said. Incidentally, their names also figured in the State review committee for an early release.

Chaired by CS, the Board also comprises the Special Secretary to Goa government Anjal Sherawat, Superintendent of Police Kartik Kashyap, Women & Child Development Department official Dilip Kudalkar and Superintendent of Prisons Shyamsundar Parab, with the member secretary being the Inspector General of Prisons Rajendra Mirajkar. 

Women convicts, aged 55 years and above and male convicts of 60 years or more, serving a sentence of 10 years or less and have completed half of the imprisonment term, and a few other category of prisoners are entitled for special remission, under which selected prisoners are to be released in three phases on October 2, 2018, April 6, 2019 (anniversary of Dandi March) and October 2, 2019. 

However, prisoners convicted for serious offenses like dowry death, rape, human trafficking and under Terrorist and Disruptive (Prevention) Act (TADA), Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA), money laundering law and FEMA, Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO), etc will not be considered.