kolkata: In a bid to decongest correctional homes in the prevailing Covid situation, the Mamata Banerjee government is prematurely releasing 63 life convicts above the age of 55 years on humanitarian ground.
All the life convicts have already served 14 years in correctional homes.
It needs mention that this comes at a time when Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had earlier reacted sharply at the death of Father Stan Swamy "under custody" and raised questions and demanded release of others involved in the same Bhima Koregaon case considering their age.
Even leaders of major opposition parties, including Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, Trinamool Congress Chairperson Mamata Banerjee and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar wrote to President Ram Nath Kovind expressing "outrage" at the death of Father Stan Swamy.
With the decision taken by the state government, the Correctional Home department is releasing 61 male life convicts aged more than 60 years and two women life convicts aged more than 55 years.
The decision to prematurely release the convicts is taken based on their age and conduct following recommendations of the State Sentence Review Board. It has also been taken under consideration that the convict can now spend time with their families.
Among the 61 life convicts five are from scheduled caste community, three from schedule tribe, two from other backward classes and 53 from general category.
The state government has further stated that 51 of them are Hindu and 12 are from Muslim community.
In a Press communique, the state government has stated: "Considering the Covid situation prevailing in the country and the state, it is felt that there is a need to decongest the prisons."
"Further, Section 432 of Criminal Procedure Code 1973 empowers the state government to consider the premature release of life convicts who have served at least 14 years in correctional homes," it stated.