DEHRADUN: In a stern intervention, the Uttarakhand High Court has directed the state government to submit a detailed policy framework regarding the release of long-term convicts who have already completed their life sentences.
The division bench, comprising Justice Ravindra Maithani and Justice Siddharth Sah, has granted the administration one week to clarify its stance, scheduling the next hearing for May 18.
The court’s directive stems from a persistent gridlock in implementing Supreme Court guidelines on prisoner release.
While the state government submitted that several inmates have already been set free, it maintained that those involved in "serious offenses" remain in custody, with some cases requiring further clearance from the administration.
Counsel for the petitioners, however, argued that this continued incarceration is a violation of fundamental rights.
"Many prisoners have completed their sentences long ago. Despite clear directives from both the Supreme Court and this High Court, they remain behind bars. The jail administration has repeatedly ignored our pleas for release, which constitutes a clear disregard for judicial orders," the petitioners stated.
The issue initially came to light when the High Court took suo motu cognizance of the matter.
Following physical inspections of state prisons, the court identified 167 inmates whose sentences had concluded but who remained incarcerated due to administrative delays.
While the government subsequently facilitated the release of some of these individuals, a significant number of "suspect" prisoners—those deemed by the state to require further scrutiny—remain in limbo. The petitioners have filed multiple pleas asserting that their prolonged detention is unconstitutional, citing the Supreme Court’s categorical directive to all High Courts to ensure the immediate release of convicts who have served their mandated time.
Addressing the ongoing process, Dadhi Ram Maurya, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Prisons, Uttarakhand, told TNIE: "We are in the process of compiling comprehensive data. Over the past four years, more than 400 such prisoners have already been released. We are working to ensure that the remaining cases are reviewed in accordance with the law."
As the state awaits the May 18 hearing, the spotlight remains firmly on the Uttarakhand government to reconcile its security concerns with the constitutional rights of inmates who have paid their debt to society.