HYDERABAD: The Telangana state government granted remission to as many as 231 convicts on the occasion of Republic Day on Friday. The remission was granted based on their good behaviour. This is the third remission after the formation of the state with the first and second during 2016 and 2020.
The State Home department released a Government Order (GO) on January 24, 2024, granting Special Remission through the powers vested in the Governor under Article 161 of the Indian Constitution. However, the government is yet to make the GO public.
A total of 212 convicts serving life time sentences and 19 non-life sentences serving prisoners having good conduct in prisons were selected on this occasion for premature release.
Article 161 of the Indian Constitution says:
“The Governor of a State shall have the power to grant pardons, reprieves, respites or remissions of punishment or to suspend, remit or commute the sentence of any person convicted of any offence against any law relating to a matter to which the executive power of the State extends.”