New Delhi: The DMK government in Tamil Nadu is in the eye of a storm for announcing the release of 1,400 life convicts currently lodged across jails in the state.
In a move to mark the birth centenary of the party founder CN Annadurai, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi has decided to release life convicts who have completed seven years in prison and has announced a five-year relaxation for prisoners aged 60 years and above.
Karunanidhi made the announcement following Tamil Nadu Governor's nod to release the prisoners, a state government release said on Friday.
A high-level committee had been constituted to finalise the list of convicts who would walk free.
However, the move has not gone down well with legal experts who say the step shouldn’t have been taken without legal scrutiny.
Though DMK government has been releasing prisoners for sometime, sources say it is the first time that it has reduced the minimum imprisonment period to seven years.
It is not only DMK, even during Jayalalithaa-led AIADMK regime, life convicts were released on a couple of occasions, including once on Jaya’s birthday.
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