Remission Impossible – In Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, govt decisions on early release, paroles are huge blows against justice

Source: The post is based on the article “Remission Impossible – In Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, govt decisions on early release, paroles are huge blows against justice” published in The Times of India on 27th April 2023.

Syllabus: GS-2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

Relevance: About government’s flouting criminal justice procedures.

News: The existing Bihar Prison Manual has disallowed remission of convicts of terrorism, rape-cum-murder and murder of state officers. Bihar has recently amended the Bihar Prison Manual 2012 to remove the phrase “the murder of a public servant”.  This facilitates the release of a murder convict for political reasons. This will also aid the criminalisation of politics.

What are the other recent examples of government flouting criminal justice procedures?

-The Supreme Court last week tightened up the Gujarat government and the Centre for their reluctance to share files on the early release of 11 lifers in the Bilkis Bano case for political reasons. The SC also remarked that the grant of remission showed “complete non-consideration for the gravity of the offences”.

-Recently, the Haryana government justified frequent paroles to Dera chief and rape-and-murder convict, claiming he wasn’t a “hardcore prisoner”.

What should be done?

Remission if fairly applied is a chance at a second life. But, the government’s flouting criminal justice procedures are huge blows against justice.