JUDGMENT

1. The petitioners herein were before the High Court of Judicature at Bombay claiming to be in Public Interest (PIL-CJ-LD-VC No.44/2020) seeking that the decision of the High Powered Committee ('HPC for short) dated 25.03.2020 to the extent of Clauses (iii), (iv) and (vii) of paragraph 8, decisions/minutes of HPC meeting dated 11.05.2020 excluding certain categories of offences provided in paragraph 5(i) and 5(ii) for the purpose of grant of interim bail and corrigendum dated 18.05.2020 of the Minutes of the Meeting of HPC dated 11.05.2020 to the extent of clarification that the class and/or category of offences determined by the HPC for temporary release be not read as a direction made by it for mandatory release of prisoners falling in that category or class and a further clarification that the case of every prisoner be considered on case to case basis for deciding the temporary release of such prisoners. The petitioners had also sought for a direction to the respondents to release the prisoners convicted for life imprisonment without insisting that they have been released in the past at least twice, either on furlough or parole.

2. The High Court on making a detailed cons