On the occasion of the Human Rights Day on Monday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee released 51 lifers including political prisoners.
“Today’s decision to free 51 prisoners was in addition to the release of 83 lifers already announced by the state government,” Mamata said at the Writers’ Building. The state government has also decided not to oppose the bail plea of Sushil Roy, an ailing Maoist leader. Magsaysay Award-winning writer Mahasweta Devi had spearheaded a mass petition demanding his release.
A top Maoist leader, Roy was arrested in West Midnapore in 2005 and chargesheeted in four cases across West Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand. On November 22, the Jharkhand High Court granted him bail.
Mamata said the 51 persons serving life sentences included political prisoners and that her TMC government had released 55 political prisoners since May 2011.