Maharashtra: 186 prisoners to be released on Independence Day

The Union Home Ministry has given instructions to grant special amnesty to eligible convicts who have been sentenced in certain categories of jails. About 186 prisoners of the state will be released from jail on Independence Day as part of the Amrit Mahotsav of Independence.Additional Director General of Police, Maharashtra Prisons Department, Amitabh Gupta and Special Inspector General of Police Dr Jalinder Supekar have appealed to the 186 convicts who will be released from the jails to leave the criminal life and become responsible citizens of the country and wished them good luck for the future.

On the occasion of Amrit Mahotsav of Independence, special amnesty was granted to certain categories of prisoners in state jails in three phases. According to the third phase of this amnesty, the government has given orders to release 186 prisoners from jail.“The purpose of the amnesty scheme is to establish discipline and conduct among the prisoners and to encourage early release from prison. Features of amnesty scheme and amnesty scheme criteria from Union Home Secretariat are prescribed. Thus, a total of 581 convicts were freed from jail by special amnesty in three phases by the Maharashtra Prisons Department. About 206 convicts were freed on August 15, 2022 in the first phase, 189 convicts on January, 26 2023 in the second phase and third phase, on August 15, 2023, the government has issued orders to release 186 convicts from jail by granting special amnesty,” said a prison official. Among the convicts to be released on Independence Day are 7 male convicts who have completed 60 years of age and have completed 50% of their total sentence as per the directives of the Central Government, ten young offenders who committed an offence between the ages of 12 and 21 and have not committed any subsequent offence and who have completed 50% of their total sentence.