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The Assam government has decided to remit the sentences of certain categories of prisoners as a part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav to mark the 75th anniversary of Independence.
The decision is in pursuance of a letter from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) specifying the categories of prisoners eligible for release from August 15 onwards.
An order issued by Assam’s Home and Political Department said female and transgender convicts of 50 years of age or more would be released if they have completed 50% of their total sentence period without counting the period of general remission earned. In the case of male convicts, the minimum age for the remission of a sentence is 60 years.
Physically challenged convicts with 70% disability or more, duly certified by a medical board would also be released if they have completed 50% of their sentence period without counting the period of general remission earned. There are no conditions for the release of terminally ill convicts except for certification by a medical board.
Other categories of prisoners eligible for remission of the sentence are those who have completed two-thirds or 66% of their sentence period, poor or indigent prisoners who have completed their sentence but are still in jail due to non-payment of fines imposed on them after the waiver of their fines, and persons who committed an offence at a young age with no other criminal involvement or cases against them.
The remission granted, however, would not be applicable for convicts with death sentence, life imprisonment, convicts involved in terror activities and booked under laws such as the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the National Security Act
The remission of the sentence is also not for prisoners convicted for dowry deaths, counterfeiting currency notes, committing rape, human trafficking and offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, prisoners convicted for money laundering, charged for treason, convicted under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and Prevention of Corruption Act.
Data provided by the Home and Political Department showed there are no women and transgender convicts in the category specified while five male prisoners of 60 years or above have completed at least 65% of their sentence.
Assam’s jails have 12 convicts who have completed 66% of their sentence period, the most by Silbanush Goria (90.6%) at Nagaon Central Jail.
