Jharkhand okays release of 24 life convicts

Twenty-four life convicts will walk free as Jharkhand Sentence Review (JSRB) Board on Tuesday recommended their release from jail, a statement said.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the JSRB, chaired by Chief Minister Hemant Soren, which reviewed the cases of 50 such prisoners, it said.

''After reviewing the opinion of the courts, Superintendents of Police, Jail Superintendents and Probation Officers of the concerned districts, it was agreed to release 24 prisoners,'' the Chief Minister's Secretariat said in the statement.

Soren directed officials to make arrangements for counselling, tracking and monitoring of the prisoners released from jail, besides emphasising the need for rehabilitation of the released prisoners and connecting them with the schemes of the government, it said.

''The chief minister said that proper counseling should also be done for these prisoners from time to time. Apart from this, they should also be linked to the schemes of the government, so that they remain connected with the mainstream. At the same time, there should also be a system for the rehabilitation of needy prisoners,'' the statement noted.

Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Vandana Dadel and Director General of Police (DGP) Ajay Kumar Singh were among those present at the meeting.