Committee meets on special remission

AALO, Sep 11: West Siang Deputy Commissioner Sode Potom on Tuesday chaired a meeting here of the district level committee on special remission to Prisoners.
The meeting was held in response to the Centre’s directive to give special remission to prisoners to befit the occasions of the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on 2 October, 2018, the Dandi March on 6 April, 2019, and the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi again on 2 October 2019.
The DC highlighted the instructions given by the government of India for special remission and release of women convicts of 55 years of age and above, transgender convicts of 55 years of age and above, male convicts of 60 years and above, physically challenged/disabled, partially disabled, and terminally ill convicts who have completed 50 percent of their actual sentence period, and convicted prisoners who have completed two-thirds (66%) of their actual sentence period, as part of the humanitarian values which Gandhi stood for, to mark the upcoming occasions.
However, Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Hirendra Kashyap disclosed that not a single prisoner in the district falls within the purview of the six categories of prisoners as enshrined in the guideline set by the government of India.
He enumerated the list of custodial detentions, and placed before the committee the list of under-trial prisoners in judicial custody.
The CJM also disclosed that some cases are to be heard, some do not fall under the category, and some convicted prisoners have not completed 50 percent of their actual period of sentence. (DIPRO)