'Sikh prisoners in jail for 3 decades', Manish Tewari seeks debate on remission policy
Darpan News Desk IANS, 16 Aug, 2022 10:54 AM
New Delhi, Aug 16 (IANS) A day after convicts in the infamous Bilkis Bano case were released, Congress leader Manish Tewari on Tuesday took up the case of Sikh prisoners languishing in jails and called for a uniformity in the definition of remission policy.
"There must be uniformity across the country about definition of life imprisonment & remissions permissible".
"While some convicts walk free after 15 years others languish in jail for 30 years or more?Classical case- Sikh Prisoners in jail for 03 decades," he said in a tweet.
All 11 life imprisonment convicts in the 2002 Bilkis Bano gang-rape case and murder of seven members of her family on Monday walked out of Godhra sub-jail after the Gujarat government allowed their release under its remission policy.
A special CBI court in Mumbai had sentenced the 11 accused to life imprisonment on the charge of gang-rape and murder of seven members of Bilkis Bano's family on January 21, 2008. The Bombay High Court had later upheld their conviction.
According to reports, the convicts had served more than 15 years in jail and one of them had approached the Supreme Court with a plea for premature release.
The apex court had directed the Gujarat government to look into the issue of remission of his sentence following which the government formed a committee.
Presiding over a meeting here with representatives of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Doaba) and the Sandhar Sugar Mill of Phagwara, the minister categorically directed the officers concerned to ensure that of the Rs 72 crore payment due (since the last three years) towards the farmers, Rs 22 crore must be realized soon and credited into the accounts of farmers by selling the property of the mill at Bhuna in Haryana.
Padma Shri Sahney made this announcement before taking oath of office in Parliament. Before the oath, he took part in 'kirtan' and 'ardaas' organised at Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib here. On the occasion, Sahney announced that he will donate all his and staff salary of his tenure for the education of economically weaker students.
Mann said the 254-km long Delhi-Katra highway will be constructed at a cost Rs 11,510 crore and will pass through nine districts of the state -- Jalandhar, Sangrur, Malerkotla, Patiala, Kapurthala, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Gurdaspur.
In a status report before Justice Anoop Chitkara's Bench, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Sukhnaaz Singh said in view of the facts and circumstances, it is evident that there is sufficient prima facie evidence on record which reveals that the petitioner is the main conspirator, who hatched conspiracy with Gaurav Patial (accused) for eliminating Middukhera.
In January 2019, a special CBI court in Panchkula also sentenced Rahim and three others to life imprisonment for the murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati over 16 years ago. His conviction on August 25, 2017 had led to violence in Panchkula and Sirsa, leaving 41 people dead and over 260 injured.
According to customs officials, "The gold was in the form of a paste which was wrapped in black tape in two packets. The total weight of the packets was 433 grams. After removing the tape and other impurities from gold, it weighs 397 grams."
