State grants special remission to prisoners

Chandigarh, January 25

On the Republic Day eve, the state government on Thursday granted special remission to prisoners convicted by the courts of criminal jurisdiction in the state.

An official spokesperson said convicts, who had been sentenced for lifetime imprisonment, 10 years and above have been granted remission of 60 days and those sentenced for five years, above five years but less than 10 years, have been granted remission of 45 days. Similarly, the convicts, who had been sentenced for less than five years, have been granted remission of 30 days.

The spokesperson said this remission would also be granted to all the convicts who were on parole or furlough from the jail on the Republic Day subject to the condition that they surrender at the respective jails on the due date after the expiry of their parole or furlough.

The remission would not be granted to prisoners convicted for offences like abduction and murder of a person below 14 years, rape with murder, dacoity or robbery, acid attack, and under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act 1987, Official Secrets Act 1923, Foreigners Act 1948, Passport Act 1967, Section 2 and 3 of the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1961, Sections 121 to 130 of the IPC, kidnapping for ransom, any crime under the POCSO Act 2012, and Section 32A under the NDPS Act.

Similarly, the remission would also not be admissible to Pakistan nationals and the convicts who had committed major jail offences during past two years and were punished for the same under the relevant provisions of the Punjab Jail Manual or any other Acts or Rules as applicable on that day.