Convict given fixed life for 20 yrs entitled to be freed after term: Supreme Court
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
A bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and K V Viswanathan rejected a petition that a convict, even if serving a fixed term, could come out of jail only when his plea for remission of sentence was allowed by govt. The court, which had on July 29 directed release of Sukhdev Pehalwan in the Nitish Katara case, as he had already completed 20 years imprisonment in March, passed a reasoned judgment in the case.
"We hold that in all cases where an accused/convict has completed his period of jail term, he shall be entitled to be released forthwith and not continued in imprisonment if not wanted in any other case. We say so in light of Article 21 of the Constitution, which states that no person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law," the bench said
Taking note that many convicts have completed their sentences and are languishing in jail,it directed the order's copy be circulated by SC registry to all home secretaries to ascertain whether any accused/convict has remained in jail beyond the period of sentence.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
28 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Stop using 'harijan' word in official communications: Odisha govt asks depts
Bhubaneswar, The Odisha government has asked all its departments, public and educational institutes and others to stop using the term 'harijan' in communications, officials said on Wednesday. Stop using 'harijan' word in official communications: Odisha govt asks depts The government suggested the authorities concerned that words like 'scheduled caste' in English and 'anusuchita jati' in Odia or other national languages should be used to "denote persons belonging to scheduled castes as notified under Article 341 of the Constitution", according to a letter issued on August 12 by the commissioner-cum-secretary of the ST and SC Development, Minorities and Backward Class Welfare Department. The letter was sent to all the additional chief secretaries, principal secretaries, and commissioner-cum-secretaries, the officials said. "They have been instructed to ensure that the word 'harijan' does not appear in any official communications, records, transactions, caste certificates, publications, departmental names, or any other form of use," one of the officials said. The authorities concerned are also directed to educate their staff and update existing documents and records accordingly, he said. They are also told to submit a compliance report on the action taken on the matter, another official said. The state government's action came in the wake of the guidelines issued by the Odisha Human Rights Commission , prohibiting the use of the word 'harijan'. These guidelines will be strictly enforced in all government offices, the official said. In 1982, the Centre had asked all state governments not to use the term 'harijan' to refer to Dalits. Following fresh guidelines prepared by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, a similar order was also issued in 2013 to all the states, directing them to ensure non-use of the 'harijan' word not only in caste certificates but also in official communications, the officials said. The Odisha Assembly has also prohibited the use of the word 'harijan', they said. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
The Hindu
28 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Bihar SIR row hearing LIVE: Supreme Court to resume hearing pleas against Election Commission electoral roll revision
The Supreme Court is set to hear the second day of pleas against the Election Commission electoral roll revision exercise in Bihar on Wednesday (August 13, 2025). The top court on Tuesday (August 12, 2025) said 'mistakes' might have happened while preparing the draft Bihar electoral roll and pointed to the Election Commission of India's (ECI) willingness to correct those even as petitioners reminded the court of its promise to 'step in' if the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) led to 'mass exclusion'. Also read: Bihar draft rolls are not helpful in finding new, existing voters The top court also agreed with the ECI decision to not accept Aadhaar and voter cards as conclusive proof of citizenship in the ongoing exercise and said it has to be supported by other documents. Also read: SIR of Bihar's electoral rolls and its political ripple effects across India: Data The draft roll was published on August 1 and the final roll is scheduled to be published on September 30 amid Opposition claims that the ongoing exercise will deprive crores of eligible citizens from their right to vote.
Hindustan Times
28 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Sonakshi Sinha slams Supreme Court's order to remove stray dogs: ‘Everyday we expose how soul-less we have become'
Actor Sonakshi Sinha has voiced her opinion against the Supreme Court's order to move stray dogs from Delhi-NCR localities to shelters within eight weeks. She mentioned that the directive exposes how 'soulless we have become as a society.' Sonakshi Sinha took to Instagram to share her views. Sonakshi Sinha reacts On Tuesday, Sonakshi took to Instagram Stories to react to the order, which has sparked heated debate and protests, with people raising slogans against the Supreme Court directive and calling for its reversal. To share her views, Sonakshi reposted a note on her Stories which read, 'Street dogs are not a problem. They are victims. Victims of fear, hunger, disease, neglect, cruelty, and abandonment. They live without shelter, without vaccination, without sterilization, left behind to give birth on the streets, only to watch their puppies suffer the same fate. "Many die under speeding wheels or at the hands of cruelty. They ask for nothing but compassion, and to live without harm. Yet people sell them, dump them, and now even plan to uproot them from the only place they know, sending them to overcrowded shelters where they will lose their freedom and identity. This is not animal welfare. Spaying and vaccinating street dogs is the real, humane solution,' added the note. Reposting the note, Sonakshi shared, 'Day by day we expose how soul-less we have become as a society. Every day is a disappointment.' Sonakshi's post on Instagram, About the SC order on stray dogs The Supreme Court's sweeping directive to remove all stray dogs from Delhi-NCR streets and place them in shelters within eight weeks has sparked a debate. Several celebrities, including Janhvi Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Vir Das and Chinmayi, have come forward to condemn the Supreme Court's order through their social media accounts. On Tuesday, actor and dog dad John Abraham sent an appeal to Hon'ble Chief Justice of India, Justice B. R Gavai, urging a review of the recent Supreme Court direction for the removal of Delhi's community dogs to shelters and faraway places, calling it 'illegal, impractical, and inhumane.'
