Remission for TADA prisoners in Punjab

By Our Staff Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, APRIL, 14. The Punjab Government has decided to grant special remission of sentences to prisoners convicted under the Terrorist and Disruptive (Prevention) Act of 1987, better known as TADA. This one time measure has been announced by the Governor, on the occasion of the bicentennial celebrations of the coronation of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, according to a statement from the State Government's Home Department issued on Friday evening.

However, the five-page statement had various riders regarding release of the TADA convicts, whose number was not immediately available. It said that sentence would not be remitted ``if the prisoner is involved in ghastly murder, double murder involving extreme brutality and bestiality in which the prisoner has been convicted and sentenced to imprisonment for life or if he is involved in the crime connected with terrorism in the State.''

The statement also said that the instructions would not apply to prisoners who have been convicted in cases investigated by the Delhi Special Police Establishment or any other agency empowered to make investigations into an offence under the Central Act other than the Code for Criminal Procedure.

It is worth noting that the State Government has been under pressure to release all TADA detenues and those Sikh youngsters who were imprisoned for their involvement in militancy related incidents. The demands have been made by several political parties and religious organisations, including the top clerics.

Meanwhile, remittance of sentence has been allowed for male prisoners above 20 years who have undergone at least eight years' sentence. Male prisoners below 20 , women - irrespective of age, who have undergone five-and-a-half years of the sentence and those convicts who were 70 or above would also be freed. Among those to be given relief would be those who have behaved properly during their jail term. Those convicts, who were released on parole, have been asked to surrender to the respective jail within 15 days to avail the benefit.

The remittance order does not cover those who have received a commutation of death sentence to a life term, those convicted for culpable homicide with wrongful confinement for extortion or rape, murder related offences where the victim was below the age of 14 years, dowry related deaths and those who were convicted of indulging in criminal conspiracy in such acts.

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