Thiruvananthapuram: A 2011 Kerala government order releasing 209 prisoners prematurely, before the expiry of their jail term, had raised an uproar and invited the wrath of the judiciary. In pursuance of a Kerala High Court order quashing this controversial order of the then Left Democratic Front (LDF) government, the Director General of Police (Prisons) has now recommended that 20 of these 209 prisoners should be imprisoned again.
The 20 released prisoners were found to be involved in criminal cases again during an inquiry held as per the High Court instructions.
Some of the released prisoners were booked in murder cases and were back in the jail again. These included the prisoners convicted of murdering CPM worker K P Raveendran in the Kannur Central Jail. The police have given an unfavourable report against 20, including these prisoners.
The report by DGP (Prisons) Rishi Raj Singh has been submitted to the government and would be handed over to Governor Arif Mohammad Khan. If the Governor gives the nod, the government would convey its decision to the High Court.
High Court order
The HC had in January this year quashed an order by the V S Achuthanandan government that allowed the release of 209 prisoners. The HC had also asked the government to re-examine the order and submit a new report.
In the ensuing enquiries made by the jail department and the police, 90 per cent of the released prisoners were found to be leading a law-abiding life, providing some relief for the government. This report was earlier submitted by the prisons’ chief to the government.
The HC order was issued on a plea filed by a prisoner's wife, who was aggrieved that her husband's case was not considered for the benefit of remission of sentence or grant of pardon, while granting such relief to other prisoners.
Who all benefited
The Achuthanandan government had released prisoners who had completed 10 years imprisonment and above. The government had claimed that in those prisoners' cases, there were favourable reports either from police or from the probationary officer or both.
CPM workers, convicted in the murder of Yuvamorcha leader K T Jayakrishnan, and RSS men, convicted for killing Left workers, were among those released in 2011.
Twenty-two of the released prisoners have died. One person was reported to be missing. Others were found to be leading respectable lives and working at various places, including outside the country.
