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Tihar lifers await files to freedom: The Pioneer
New Delhi, Feb 03: For some convicts serving life terms in the Tihar Jail, the road to freedom is laden with a myriad Government files and that all-too-familiar official indecision. Despite having completed a 14-year term, some `lifers` just couldn`t be free this Republic Day because the files seeking their release from Asia`s largest prison did not reach the Delhi Chief Minister in time.
New Delhi, Feb 03: For some convicts serving life terms in the Tihar Jail, the road to freedom is laden with a myriad Government files and that all-too-familiar official indecision. Despite having completed a 14-year term, some 'lifers' just couldn't be free this Republic Day because the files seeking their release from Asia's largest prison did not reach the Delhi Chief Minister in time.
Ranjit Singh Gill, convicted in the Lalit Maken and the Geetanjali Maken murder case, is one of the 36 convicts, who are waiting for Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit to hold a States Sentence Revising Board (SSRB) meeting for their pre-mature release from the Tihar jail. Gill was extradited to India from Canada after he spent 13-and-half-years in a Canadian prison.
The jail authorities had recommended the release of 36 prisoners pre-maturely. Owing to inexplicable reasons, however, their cases have been put on hold for an indefinite period.
As a matter of practice, lifers' sentences are remitted and they are released pre-maturely before they spend 14 years of actual imprisonment, provided their names are cleared by the SSRB, set up by the Government under Section 432 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). Ms Dikshit told The Pioneer that she has not received any communication from the Tihar jail authorities to hold an SSRB meeting. "Whenever the schedule is finalised the meeting would be held," she said. It is incumbent upon the jail authorities to inform her about the meeting. "It is true that no meeting of the SSRB has taken place in the past eight months or so," said Ms Dikshit.
Apart from Ms Dikshit, who is the chairperson of the board, other SSRB panel members include the Law Secretary, the Chief Probation Officer, the Deputy Secretary (Home), the Delhi Police Commissioner, the Director-General of Prisons and the Superintendent of the jail concerned.
During the last meeting, there were 36 convicted prisoners waiting for their pre-mature release. It is now learnt that if the SSRB does not sit for some more time, there is a possibility that the number of convicts seeking release will swell to be over 50, an official said.
According to the Government's policy and guidelines framed by the Supreme Court, the SSRB meeting should be held every quarter. But in Delhi, the only meeting that was held was on May 05, 2003, when 11 out of 22 cases were decided. Sources in the Tihar jail said a decision on the remaining 11 had been deferred to May 22, which eventually did not materialise. It was further deferred to September 15, 2003. "And till date, the meeting of the SSRB could not be held because board chairperson Ms Dikshit failed to give time from her tight schedule as she was busy with the polls that were concluded recently," sources said.
Meanwhile, sources in the Delhi Government's Home Department said that the authorities are preparing new guidelines for the release of such prisoners. It is learnt that Chief Secretary Shailaja Chandra had objected to some of the provisions in the guidelines. Ms Chandra, in her note, had said that those involved in heinous crimes should not be granted pre-mature release. In a related development, the National Human Right Commission (NHRC) has said that there should not be discrimination while releasing prisoners pre-maturely.
The jail authorities had recommended the release of 36 prisoners pre-maturely. Owing to inexplicable reasons, however, their cases have been put on hold for an indefinite period.
As a matter of practice, lifers' sentences are remitted and they are released pre-maturely before they spend 14 years of actual imprisonment, provided their names are cleared by the SSRB, set up by the Government under Section 432 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). Ms Dikshit told The Pioneer that she has not received any communication from the Tihar jail authorities to hold an SSRB meeting. "Whenever the schedule is finalised the meeting would be held," she said. It is incumbent upon the jail authorities to inform her about the meeting. "It is true that no meeting of the SSRB has taken place in the past eight months or so," said Ms Dikshit.
Apart from Ms Dikshit, who is the chairperson of the board, other SSRB panel members include the Law Secretary, the Chief Probation Officer, the Deputy Secretary (Home), the Delhi Police Commissioner, the Director-General of Prisons and the Superintendent of the jail concerned.
During the last meeting, there were 36 convicted prisoners waiting for their pre-mature release. It is now learnt that if the SSRB does not sit for some more time, there is a possibility that the number of convicts seeking release will swell to be over 50, an official said.
According to the Government's policy and guidelines framed by the Supreme Court, the SSRB meeting should be held every quarter. But in Delhi, the only meeting that was held was on May 05, 2003, when 11 out of 22 cases were decided. Sources in the Tihar jail said a decision on the remaining 11 had been deferred to May 22, which eventually did not materialise. It was further deferred to September 15, 2003. "And till date, the meeting of the SSRB could not be held because board chairperson Ms Dikshit failed to give time from her tight schedule as she was busy with the polls that were concluded recently," sources said.
Meanwhile, sources in the Delhi Government's Home Department said that the authorities are preparing new guidelines for the release of such prisoners. It is learnt that Chief Secretary Shailaja Chandra had objected to some of the provisions in the guidelines. Ms Chandra, in her note, had said that those involved in heinous crimes should not be granted pre-mature release. In a related development, the National Human Right Commission (NHRC) has said that there should not be discrimination while releasing prisoners pre-maturely.