The Punjab Government has decided to accord one time remission of sentence to the convicts lodged in different jails of the state and undergoing sentence of imprisonment up to 20 years on the occasion of Independence Day, 2014.Disclosing this here today Mr. Sohan Singh Thandal, Jail Minister, Punjab said that the prisoners who are undergoing sentence of imprisonment for more than 10 years and up to 20 have been granted one time remission of sentence for 1 year. Similarly prisoners undergoing sentence of more than 7 year and up to 10 years would get 9 months whereas prisoners undergoing sentence of more than 5 year and up to 7 years would get 6 months. Similarly, prisoners undergoing sentence of more than 3 years and up to 5 years would get 3 months and prisoners undergoing sentence below 3 year have been granted one remission of sentence for 1 month. The Punjab Jail Minister said that only those prisoners have been granted one time remission of sentence, who are confined in jails on 15th August 2014.
Mr. Thandal further said that where a person has been sentenced to imprisonment for a period of ten years or for a period exceeding 5 years but not exceeding 10 years, the conduct of the person for the last five would also be taken into consideration before granting him the remission of sentence. He said that if a person is on parole or furlough, the remission would be granted to him only, if he surrenders himself in the jail before the expiry of period of parole of furlough.The Minister said that no remission would be granted to a person who has been convicted for a serious offence and the cases being investigated by CBI. He said that various kind of conditions have been imposed for granting one time remission of sentence to the prisoners with regard to the nature of the crime committed by them. He said that all these conditions have been clarified in the notification issued by the Department of Home (Jails) Jail Branch, Punjab Government on 13 August, 2014.He said that this remission of sentence has been announced in exercise of the powers conferred by sub section (1) of section 432 of Code of Criminal Procedure,1973(Central Act No.2 of 1974)read with Article 161 of the Constitution of India.