Delhi: L-G grants special remisison to prisoners on eve of Republic Day
Jan 25, 2024
New Delhi [India], January 25 : On the eve of the 75th Republic Day, Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Thursday granted special remission to various categories of prisoners, including women who are undergoing sentences ranging from 10 years to up to one year at correctional facilities across the national capital.
While all women prisoners and men above the age of 65 will be eligible for a remission of 90 days, those serving sentences of more than 10 years will be eligible for remission in the range of 20 to 90 days, as per a statement issued by the L-G office on Thursday.
Remission of 90 days would be granted to those over the age of 65 and 60 days to other inmates, it said.
In the category of prisoners serving sentences of 5 years and above and up to 10 years, remission of 60 days will be accorded to men above 65 years of age and all women irrespective of age. For men below the age of 65, the period of remission will be 45 days.
A remission of 30 days will be granted to all categories of prisoners serving sentences above 1 year and up to 5 years.
In cases of sentences up to 1 year, male prisoners aged 65 and female prisoners, irrespective of age, will get a remission of 20 days while other inmates will get a remission of 15 days, the LG office said
"The Prison Department, through the Home Department, GNCTD, submitted the proposal in terms of Rule 1185 of the Delhi Prison Rules, 2018 and powers conferred under Section 432 of the CrPC to grant special remission to the eligible convicts on the occasion of Republic Day, 2024. Section 432 CrPC empowers the government to give remission to convicts and as per the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India notification dated March 20, 1974, the power of the government under Section 432 CrPC is to be exercised by the LG," it said.
"Remission by the government may be granted on occasions of national importance or public rejoicing. However, prisoners awarded life imprisonment on or after December 18, 1978, for an offence for which death is one of the penalties or whose death sentence has been commuted to life imprisonment are not eligible for remission," the statement added.
Similarly, prisoners serving sentence in lieu of a fine only, detenues under the NSA and COFEPOSA, civil prisoners jailed for evading government dues, prisoners convicted for court martial, those convicted for espionage under the Official Secret Act and prisoners arrested under the NDPS Act on or after May 20, 1989, are also not eligible for remission, it said.
Remission is also not granted to prisoners sentenced for crimes against women under Sections 376 (rape) and 354 (outraging modesty of women) of the IPC (including allied sections), those sentenced under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act and other civil convicts and prisoners sentenced under the POCSO Act, it added.
