Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena has granted special remission to various categories of prisoners, including women, who are undergoing sentences ranging from above 10 years and up to one year in different jails in the national capital on the eve of Republic Day.

All women prisoners and men above the age of 65 will be eligible to get a remission of 90 days, where sentences are more than 10 years, the remission for other categories varies from 20 to 90 days, as per a communiqué issued by the LG office on Thursday.

For the prisoners undergoing sentence above 10 years, remission of 90 days would be granted to those above the age of 65 years and 60 days to other inmates, it said.

In the category of prisoners undergoing sentence of five years and above and up to 10 years, remission of 60 days will be accorded to men above 65 years of age and to all women irrespective of age. For men below the age of 65, the period of remission will be 45 days.

A remission of 30 days will be granted to all categories of prisoners undergoing sentence above 1 year and up to five years.

In case of sentences up to 1 year, while male prisoners above the age of 65 years and women prisoners irrespective of age will get a remission of 20 days, other inmates will get a remission of 15 days, the LG office said.

“The Prison Department through Home Department, GNCTD submitted the proposal in terms of Rule 1185 of Delhi Prison Rules, 2018 and powers conferred under section 432 of CrPC to grant special remission to the eligible convicts on the occasion of Republic Day, 2024. Section 432 CrPC empowers the Government to give remission to convicts and as per Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India notification dated March 20, 1974, the power of Government under section 432 of CrPC is to be exercised by LG,’’ it said.

The LG office further said, “ Remission by the government may be granted on occasions of national importance or public rejoicing. However, prisoners awarded life imprisonment on or after December 18, 1978 for an offence for which death is one of the penalties or whose death sentence has been commuted to life imprisonment are not eligible for remission.”

Similarly prisoners undergoing sentence in lieu of fine only, detenues under NSA, COFEPOSA, Civil Prisoners jailed for evading government dues, prisoners convicted for court-martial, those convicted for espionage under Official Secret Act and prisoners arrested under NDPS Act on or after May 20, 1989 are also not eligible for remission, it said.

Remission is also not granted to prisoners sentenced for crime against women under Section 376 (rape) and 354 (outraging modesty of women) of IPC (including allied sections), those sentenced under section 138 of Negotiable Instrument Act and other Civil convicts and prisoners sentenced under POCSO Act, it added.