Bhopal: Terrorists, rapists, convicts of other crimes will have to spend entire life in jail

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Terrorists, rapists and those involved in crimes like illicit liquor and drug manufacturing and sale and crimes committed in violation of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), Anti-hijacking Act and Official Secrets Act who have been awarded life imprisonment will have to spend their entire life in jail, as per jail department’s order issued on Thursday.

A detailed guideline/policy in this regard was issued by the Jail Department that superseded the earlier guidelines issued on January 10, 2012.

The detailed guidelines issued to the prisoners serving life imprisonment elaborate eligibility and ineligibility related to premature release and remission and procedure in this regard. Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment under the acts and sections mentioned in clause (2) of the order have been declared ineligible for premature release and for leave (parihar).

Clause 2 of the order includes all the provisions of sections 376 and 376 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860, manufacture, storage, transportation of spurious liquor (Section 49 MP Excise (Amendment) Act, 2021), possession, manufacture, storage, transport of drugs under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, (1985), guilty of Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999.

Others convicted with life imprisonment who will have to spend their entire life in jail include those convicted of murder in two or more cases, convicts in cases which have been investigated by Delhi Special Police Establishment constituted under the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946 or offence under any Central Act other than the Code of Criminal Procedure,1973.

Also, prisoners whose appeal is pending in the High Courts or Supreme Court; convicts involved in the murder of a government servant (Central or State) while he was performing his official duties; all such convicted prisoners who have been ordered by the court to remain in jail life-long; convicts of offences committed under Chapter VI and Chapter VII (offences relating to the Army, Navy and Air Force) of the IPC will also have to spend life in jail.