RANCHI: The Jharkhand government will release 129 life-term serving prisoners on the 150th birthday of Mahatma Gandhi on October 2, said an official on Tuesday.
The decision was taken earlier in the day at a Punishment Review Committee meeting that took place at the state secretariat under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister Raghubar Das.
A total 137 cases were brought before the committee, out of which five were rejected and three were kept pending, said a government statement.
Of the 129 prisoners, 65 belong to Scheduled Tribes, 13 are above 60 and two are women. "Sometimes people commit a crime under some influence and if such people realise that they have committed a crime, they should be released," said Das.
In April this year, the Jharkhand Punishment review committee had decided to release 221 prisoners.