Punjab govt grants remission of sentence to convicts

Chandigarh, Apr 12 (UNI) The Punjab Government has decided to grant remission of sentence to the convicts who have been convicted by civil courts of criminal jurisdiction in the state on the occasion of Baisakhi, which falls tomorrow.

Disclosing this here today a spokesman of the Home and Justice Department, said here today the prisoners serving jail terms extending from 10 to 20 years would be granted one year remission.

Similarly prisoners undergoing sentence from five to 10 years would be granted a revision of nine months.

Those undergoing two to five years would get six months revision while those who have been sentenced to the maximum of two years would get three months revision in their terms.

The spokesman clarified that these benefits would not be admissible in cases where death sentence had been commuted into one of life imprisonment either under section 433 of the code of criminal procedure ( CrPC) or under article 72/161 of the constitution of India . Prisoners convicted on charges of culpable homicide with wrongful confinement for extortion or culpable homicide with rape and offence under section 302/304 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) where the victim was a child under 14 years of age, would not be eligible for the remission.

The remission would also not be admissible to a prisoner involved in ghastly murder or double murder involving extreme brutality or crime connected with terrorism in the state. Prisoners convicted for offences under section 304 (b) of the IPC, that is dowry death and offence under section 304 of IPC, where culpable homicide had been committed in connection with any dispute on dowry would also not be allowed this benefit.

The spokesman further said that the balance of sentence of imprisonment for life would be remitted on usual terms and conditions, that is if the prisoner had maintained good conduct in the jail. If the prisoner was either on parole or furlough, this benefit would be allowed only if he surrendered in jail in time.

Other prisoners who would not be able to avail the remission benefit include those involved in misappropriation or destruction of the central government property, persons convicted of offence under section 121-130 of the IPC and under section three, four, five, six and 10 of the Official Secrets Act and under sections two and three of the Criminal Law Amendment. Persons sentenced under the Foreigners Act and the Passport Act and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, would also not be entitled to the benefit.

Foreign nationals, detenues of prisoners undergoing sentence in default of payment of fine and persons convicted for an offence under any State or Central Act which bars the grant of remission, are also not entitled for this special remission.

UNI