Prisoners convicted for heinous offences against women, children not eligible for special remission under Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav: MHA

New Delhi [India], December 21 (ANI): Prisoners convicted for heinous offences against women and children are not eligible to be granted special remission as part of the celebrations for Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, said the Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday.

Member of Parliament Binoy Viswam asked a question in Rajya Sabha regarding the number of prisoners serving a sentence of life imprisonment who have been granted special remission as part of the celebrations for Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.

Responding to the questions, Ajay Kumar Mishra, Minister of State in the ministry of home affairs said that as part of celebrations of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, the Government of India had approved a scheme to grant special remission to specific categories of prisoners and release them in three phases on 15 August 2022, 26 January 2023 and on 15 August 2023.

On being asked the number of prisoners convicted for heinous offences against women and children who have been granted special remission as part of the celebrations for ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’, Mishra replied that detailed Guidelines regulating this scheme have been provided to the States/Union Territories (UTs) and are available on the Ministry of Home Affairs website.

In terms of the guidelines provided on the subject, persons convicted with sentence of life imprisonment and those convicted of heinous offences, including offences against women and children, are not eligible for special remission under this scheme, he said in a written reply.