200 prisoners set to be freed in Karnataka, subject to SC nod

September 6, 2014

Bangalore, Sep 6: The State Prison Advisory Board has recommended the release of at least 200 prisoners on grounds of good behaviour in the first phase in Karnataka.

But the select prisoners may have to wait a while as their release will be subject to clearance from the Supreme Court.

In January this year, the Congress government had decided at a Cabinet meeting to release prisoners on good behaviour after seven years. The prisoners were to be picked from among those who have served a big part of their respective sentence. Prisoners who have served at least 10 years of sentence were to be preferred.

Following the Cabinet decision, the government issued a notification to set up Prison Advisory Boards for all the eight central prisons in the State. The PABs then submitted a list of prisoners for release to its State body.

But the Supreme Court order staying the premature release of those convicted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case put a spoke in the State’s plans. On July 7, 2014, the apex court had directed all states not to prematurely release life convicts.

The SC verdict was an interim order on the Centre’s petition against the decision of the Tamil Nadu government to release the seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. The court had also issued notices to all states seeking their response on whether the Union government’s assent was required to release those held guilty by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) courts.

In response, official sources said, Karnataka filed an affidavit, seeking the Supreme Court’s permission for the release of prisoners lodged in the State’s jails.

Praveen Sood, Principal Secretary (PCAS), Home, said that the government was ready to release the prisoners if the Supreme Court gave its approval. “We are ready to take the list of prisoners to the Cabinet for its approval. But the SC stay on the release of TN?life convicts has a bearing on our decision. If the court approves, we can move ahead,” he said.

In January this year, the Cabinet had approved the guidelines for premature release of prisoners. Accordingly, prisoners who have been convicted in 22 types of criminals are ineligible. A life convict should serve at least 14 years in jail, including the remission period, to be eligible for premature release. More than 1,000 prisoners are estimated to be eligible for early freedom under the said guidelines in Karnataka.

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Over 58 lakh names dropped from draft voter list in Bengal ahead of polls

News Network

December 16,2025

The deletion of over 58 lakh names from West Bengal’s draft electoral rolls following a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has sparked widespread concern and is likely to deepen political tensions in the poll-bound state.

According to the Election Commission, the revision exercise has identified 24 lakh voters as deceased, 19 lakh as relocated, 12 lakh as missing, and 1.3 lakh as duplicate entries. The draft list, published after the completion of the first phase of SIR, aims to remove errors and duplication from the electoral rolls.

However, the scale of deletions has raised fears that a large number of eligible voters may have been wrongly excluded. The Election Commission has said that individuals whose names are missing can file objections and seek corrections. The final voter list is scheduled to be published in February next year, after which the Assembly election announcement is expected. Notably, the last Special Intensive Revision in Bengal was conducted in 2002.

The development has intensified the political row over the SIR process. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress have strongly opposed the exercise, accusing the Centre and the Election Commission of attempting to disenfranchise lakhs of voters ahead of the elections.

Addressing a rally in Krishnanagar earlier this month, Banerjee urged people to protest if their names were removed from the voter list, alleging intimidation during elections and warning of serious consequences if voting rights were taken away.

The BJP, meanwhile, has defended the revision and accused the Trinamool Congress of politicising the issue to protect what it claims is an illegal voter base. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari alleged that the ruling party fears losing power due to the removal of deceased, fake, and illegal voters.

The controversy comes amid earlier allegations by the Trinamool Congress that excessive work pressure during the SIR led to the deaths by suicide of some Booth Level Officers (BLOs), for which the party blamed the Election Commission. With the draft list now out, another round of political confrontation appears imminent.

As objections begin to be filed, the focus will be on whether the correction mechanism is accessible, transparent, and timely—critical factors in ensuring that no eligible voter is denied their democratic right ahead of a crucial election.

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