India: prisoners on life term can be freed after 14 years

The Pushkar Singh Dhami-led state cabinet on Monday gave its approval to a home (prison) department proposal that recommends release of prisoners serving life imprisonment after completing a 14 years’ jail term on the grounds of good conduct. Earlier, the prisoners serving life term were released either on Independence Day (August 15) or Republic Day (January 26), but now the inmates, who have completed 14 years in jail, can be released on any day. The life term for women is from 14 to 16 years and for males, it is 16 to 18 years. Besides, the cabinet has given nod to a proposal to table a Rs 4,867 crore supplementary budget in the state assembly’s winter session commencing on November 29.