Chennai, Sept 15: With the Madras High Court
declining to stay the Tamil Nadu government's order granting
them remission, as many as 1,405 life convicts were on Monday
released from various prisons in the state on the occasion of
the birth centenary of late Chief Minister C N Annadurai.
At the Puzhal prison near Chennai alone, a total of 117
life convicts, including six women, were set free.
Those released were given cash assistance and other
utility machines like sewing machines to start a new lease of
life.
Speaking on the occasion, DGP (Prisons) R Nataraj
advised the convicts never to show up again at the prison even
to visit acquaintances.
The state government last week decided to release the
life convicts who completed seven years (five years for those
above 60) in prison to commemorate the birth centenary of
Annadurai, also the founder of the ruling DMK, but faced a
roadblock when Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy moved
the high court yesterday challenging the decision.
The First Bench, comprising Chief Justice A K Ganguly
and Justice F M Ibrahim Kalifullah, at a special hearing at
the former's residence, said the prisoners be released subject
to the conditions imposed in the bond that they have to
execute on their premature release.
The court has also directed the government to recall
the prematurely released persons if Swamy won the case, the
hearing of which had been posted to October 30.
Bureau Report
