A total of 12 convicts, who have been serving life sentence for more than 26 years in various prisons across Tamil Nadu, were released on the recommendations of retired High Court judge Justice N. Authinathan.
While six were released from Coimbatore Central Prison, four were released from Cuddalore Central Prison and one each from Vellore Central Prison and Puzhal prison, an official release said.
The release was in line with the announcement made by the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister in the floor of the Assembly that sentence of life convicts would be commuted based on their good behaviour and on humanitarian grounds to mark the birth anniversary of former Chief Minister C.N. Annadurai.
Manithaneya Makkal Katchi president M.H. Jawahirullah on Tuesday thanked Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and the State Government for the pre-mature release of 10 long-term Muslim life convicts.
In a statement, Prof. Jawahirullah said the DMK government in 2021 had recommended the release of 49 life prisoners, including 20 Muslim life prisoners, to Governor R.N. Ravi who had kept the files with him and refused to take action.
“Governor Ravi refused to sign these files and the bills passed in the State Assembly prompting the Tamil Nadu government to approach the Supreme Court. With the case up for hearing, the Governor signed on the release of 17 life prisoners, including 10 Muslim life convicts,” he contended.
Mr. Jawahirullah also thanked the Governor of Tamil Nadu, R.N. Ravi and urged him to further provide his consent to release the remaining nine Muslim life convicts in jail along with 32 other life convicts.
