November 11, the Supreme Court issued a stern warning to the Sentence Review Board of Puducherry for its failure to comply with the Court’s orders regarding the remission requests of two long-term prisoners. Justices Abhay S. Oka and Augustine George Masih expressed their frustration, indicating that contempt notices might be issued against members of the board, including the Union Territory’s Home Minister, if they continue to ignore the Court’s directives.
The prisoners in question have served over two decades following their conviction in a murder case and for attempting to kill multiple police officers with an explosive device. Despite a previous Supreme Court ruling on January 25, which granted early release to a co-convict and ordered the review board to reconsider the petitioners’ requests, the board has taken no subsequent action.
Justice Oka highlighted the severity of the oversight, stating, “If an order of this Court is ignored in this manner, we will issue a contempt notice to those responsible, regardless of their position, including the State Home Minister.” This remark underlines the Court’s commitment to ensuring its orders are respected and implemented.
During the session, the Court discovered that the review board had disregarded its August 27 directive to reassess the petitioners’ applications for premature release following the precedent set in the Satish case. This lack of action led the justices to demand an explanation in the form of an affidavit from the Inspector General of Prisons, who also serves as the member-secretary of the review board.
In a move reflecting the urgency and seriousness of the matter, the Supreme Court granted interim bail to one of the petitioners. The case is scheduled for further hearing on January 10, by which time the Court has ordered the review board to make a definitive decision on the petitioners’ plea for early release.
