The Assam government has decided to pardon specific categories of prisoners as part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrated by the central government on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of independence. The decision follows a letter from the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the categories of prisoners eligible for release from August 15 have been specified.
An order issued by the Assam Home and Political Department said women and transgender convicts aged 50 years or above would be released if they completed 50 percent of their total sentence. The minimum age for the remission of sentence in case of male convicts is 60 years.
On the other hand, convicts certified by the Medical Board as having 70 percent physical disability or more will also be released. They must also serve 50 percent of their sentence. There are also no conditions for releasing seriously ill convicts if they are certified by the Medical Board.
Other categories of prisoners eligible for sentence remission are those who have served two-thirds or 66 of their sentence, indigent or indigent prisoners, who have completed their sentence but are still incarcerated for nonpayment of fines imposed on them, and persons who committed the offense at a young age committed. They were not involved in any other criminal activity or have been prosecuted.
Such amnesty, however, will not apply to convicts of the death penalty, life imprisonment related to terrorist activities and cases filed under laws such as the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the National Security Act.
This does not apply to prisoners convicted of dowry deaths, counterfeiting, rape, human trafficking and offenses under the Child Protection Act. It will also not apply to offenders accused of money laundering, treason, or offenses under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and the Prevention of Corruption Act.
According to the data provided by Assam’s Home and Political Department, no women and transgender convicts are in the specified categories. While five male inmates age 60 or older have completed at least 65% of their sentences.
Twelve convicts in Assam jails have completed 66 percent of their sentences.