Around 600 prisoners will be granted freedom on Gandhi Jayanti as part of the amnesty scheme envisaged by the Union home ministry
Bengaluru: It will be independence day for several prisoners on Gandhi Jayanti (October 2) as they will finally taste freedom from their stay in prisons across India.
In a heart-warming gesture by the Union home ministry, around 600 prisoners will be released to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
But there is a catch here.
The amnesty is being granted to only those who have not been convicted for murder, rape, and corruption.
A list in this regard is being prepared by the Union Home Ministry in close coordination with state governments and the Union Territory administrations.
Till now, 1,424 prisoners have already been released in two phases, on 2 October 2018 and 6 April 2019. The scheduled release on October 2 is the third phase of the scheme.
Women convicts aged 55 years and above and male convicts of 60 years or more, who have completed half of their sentence, and a few other categories of prisoners in jails across the country will be released under the amnesty scheme, the official said.
Transgender convicts of 55 years of age and above, who have completed half of their actual sentence period, without counting the period of general remission earned by them, physically challenged or disabled convicts with 70 per cent disability and more, duly certified by a medical board, who have completed half of their actual sentence period will be eligible for release.
Prisoners on death row, or death sentence being commuted to life imprisonment, prisoners convicted under Acts related to corruption, terrorism, economic offences will have to remain in jail.
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