Maharashtra: Sentences of 186 Prisoners Across the State Commuted on Independence Day

Pune, 13th August 2023: As part of the Independence Day celebrations, a total of 186 well-behaved prisoners in the state have been granted clemency, and on Tuesday, August 15, these individuals who have been given special amnesty will be released from correctional facilities.

The Union Home Ministry, in honor of the Independence anniversary, has decided to extend a special amnesty to inmates displaying exemplary conduct within jails. As a result, sentences of 186 prisoners in various correctional institutions across the state have been commuted, and they will be set free on Independence Day.

Amitabh Gupta, Additional Director General of Police (Prisons Department), confirmed this development, revealing that the special amnesty has been implemented in three phases for prisoners convicted of various offences.

Special Inspector General of Police for the Prisons Department, Jalandar Supekar, expressed that this gesture of leniency aims to encourage a positive trajectory in the lives of the beneficiaries, considering their exhibited discipline and conduct.

The criteria for the amnesty scheme were established by the Union Home Ministry, leading to the formation of a committee to assess the eligibility of prisoners for sentence pardons within the state. The recommendations of this committee have been approved by the Governor, resulting in the waiver of sentences for prisoners in three consecutive phases. In the initial phase, 206 prisoners had their sentences commuted on August 15, 2022. Subsequently, in the second phase, 189 prisoners were granted clemency on January 26, 2023. The latest development involves the release of 186 prisoners on August 15, 2023. The beneficiaries of this gesture are incarcerated in 24 correctional facilities, including Yerwada, Mumbai, Nashik Road, Thane, Nagpur, and Amravati.

Prisoners aged 60 and above, as well as those who have completed 50% of their total sentence, are eligible for this sentence waiver. Within the state, there are seven such prisoners who have met the 50% criterion. A portion of these inmates had committed their offenses in their youth and have since maintained a clean record. Ten such inmates will be released as a result. Additionally, youthful prisoners are required to serve a minimum of 50% of their sentence. In cases where the financial circumstances of the convicts are dire, they will be released upon completion of their sentences. Moreover, prisoners who are financially incapable of paying the fines associated with their sentences will be granted release. A total of 167 prisoners who have served 66% of their sentences have also been beneficiaries of this special amnesty measure.