Convicts who complete 10 yrs sentence & whose appeals won't be heard soon, should be given bail: SC
Sep 15, 2022
New Delhi [India], September 15 : The Supreme Court on Thursday observed that all convicts who have completed 10 years of sentence, and whose appeals will not be heard in the near future, should be enlarged on bail.
A bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Abhay Shreeniwas Oka said these convicts should be released on bail unless there are other reasons to deny them bail.
The apex court made the observation we hearing a batch of petitions of life convicts who are in jail and their appeals are pending before various High Courts.
"...We are of the view, that all persons who have completed 10 years of sentence and appeal is not in near proximity of hearing, with no extenuating circumstances, should be enlarged on bail," the bench said.
The apex court, during the hearing, said that its endeavour was two-fold -- first, convicts having undergone more than 10 years imprisonment, unless there are reasons to deny to grant bail, be granted bail.
The second was the identification of cases where convicts have completed 14 years of custody, in which event, a case can be referred to the government for considering premature release within a fixed time, irrespective of whether appeals are pending or not.
