Allahabad HC expresses grave concern over grant of remission to convict in murder case

Prayagraj, Jul 9 (PTI) The Allahabad High Court has expressed grave concern on the grant of remission to a convict sentenced to life imprisonment in a murder case but who was released after serving only five years, ten months and 18 days of his sentence. A two-judge bench comprising Justices Ajay Bhanot and Divesh Chandra Samant, in the order passed on July 3, has sought a personal affidavit from the Uttar Pradesh principal secretary (home), disclosing the criteria and the basis on which such remission was granted. The order was passed after hearing a criminal writ petition filed by Shailendra Singh of Kanpur Nagar district. Appearing for the petitioner, his counsel submitted that the principal offender Jai Deo Singh had been convicted under Section 302 (murder) read with Section 148 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sentenced to life imprisonment. However, despite the gravity of the offence, he was granted remission after serving only five years, ten months and eighteen days of his sentence. Taking a serious note of this submission, the court said, "Prima facie, this appears to be a rather disturbing state of affairs regarding the manner in which a person convicted of a grave offence and sentenced to imprisonment for life was granted remission after serving only five and a half years". Seeking a reply from the top official of the home department, the court further directed the petitioner to implead the convict, Jai Deo Singh, as a co-respondent in the present petition. It also ordered that he be issued notice accordingly. After passing the above directives, the court directed that the matter be listed after four weeks. The state of Uttar Pradesh and the Director General of Prison and Administrative Improvement have been made respondents (opposite parties) in the present writ petition. PTI COR RAJ KSS KSS