Punjab: Life convicts can avail remission under revised remission policy

Image Courtesy:indianexpress.com

The Punjab State cabinet has decided to amend its Remission Policy 2010 to allow convicts to avail of remission from time to time. Remission is the reduction of the term of a prison sentence, usually due to good behaviour.

During a virtual meeting, the Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh approved the amendment which makes remission applicable for prisoners sentenced to imprisonment for more than 10 years, including prisoners sentenced for life. The policy as it exists currently allows remission for convicts sentenced to 10 to 20 years of imprisonment.

The Amendment has included a list of offences which will be considered for remission after the amendment. These include the following offences under the Indian Penal Code: section 302 (murder); 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder); 376 (rape) and all sub-clauses of section 376; and section 377 (unnatural offences).

“After thoroughly examining the Remission Policy it was felt that some amendments were required to be effected in it. These amendments have now been included in the new Remission Policy 2021 so that the convicts confined in the jails of Punjab may get the benefit of remission granted from time to time. In addition, the new policy also incorporates some other important amendments relating to crimes against women that have been effected in the IPC,” a spokesperson told Indian Express.

Additional Director General of Police (Prisons) P K Sinha told IE that the new policy removes ambiguities in the earlier policy and is more appropriately worded.

The government of Punjab account on twitter also confirmed the same:

Convicted prisoners in Punjab will now be eligible for remission from time to time, instead of just once, under the amendment to the Remission Policy 2010, approved today by the #PunjabCabinet led by Chief Minister @capt_amarinder Singh.
— Government of Punjab (@PunjabGovtIndia) March 31, 2021