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1967 Supreme(Kar) 60
Karnataka High Court
Judges : M.Sadasivayya,D.M.Chandrashekhar
ALFRED J.PERIES - Appellant
Versus
STATE OF MYSORE - Respondent
Criminal Petn. 151 Of 1967
Decided On : 04/14/1967
Advocates Appeared :
AMICUS CURIAE, B.K.RAMACHANDRA RAO, G.DAYANADA
A prisoner sentenced to life imprisonment is bound to serve the life term unless the sentence is commuted or remitted by the appropriate authority, and the question of remission is within the province of the appropriate government.
Headnote:
Habeas Corpus - Petitioner's Sentence and Remission - Indian Penal Code, Section 120b, 302, 109, 34 - Code of Criminal Procedure, Section 491 - Prisons Act, Rule 314-A, 306 - Supreme Court's Interpretation of Life Imprisonment and Remission
Fact of the Case:
The petitioner, a convict serving a sentence in the Central Jail, Bangalore, sought release after serving his sentence and earning remission. He argued that as he had served more than 15 years of imprisonment, including remission, he was entitled to be released.
Finding of the Court:
The court found that a prisoner sentenced to life imprisonment is bound to serve the life term unless the sentence is commuted or remitted by the appropriate authority. The petitioner was not entitled to be released unless the appropriate government remitted the remaining part of the sentence under Section 401 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
Issues: The main issue was whether the petitioner, having served more than 15 years of imprisonment including remission, was entitled to be released from jail.
Ratio Decidendi: The court relied on the Supreme Court's interpretation that a prisoner sentenced to life imprisonment is bound to serve the life term unless the sentence is commuted or remitted by the appropriate authority. The question of remission is exclusively within the province of the appropriate government.
Final Decision: The petition was dismissed, and the court observed that it was for the State Government to consider the appropriateness of remitting the remaining part of the sentence, taking into account all relevant circumstances.
( 1 ) THE petitioner is a convict serving his sentence of imprisonment in the Central Jail, Bangalore. In this petition under Article 220 of the Constitution read with Section 491 of the Code of criminal Procedure, he has prayed for issue of a writ in the nature of Habeas Corpus directing that he be set at liberty. He has claimed that he has served his sentence and should, therefore, he released.
( 2 ) AS he was not represented by a counsel after admitting the petition, we requested Mr. B. K. Ramachandra Rao Advocate, to appear as amicus curiae and assist us He agreed to do so. He contacted the petitioner look instructions from him and addressed arguments at the stage of hearing of the petition. We are grateful to him for his valuable assistance.
( 3 ) AS directed by us the petitioner was produced before us by the Jail authorities and we permitted him also to make his submissions. Apart from stating a few facts he set out certain circumstances which, according to him would warrant the remission of his sentence.
( 4 ) THE petitioner is a national of Ceylon. He was tried along with two others for the offence of murder. By his judgment dated 29-11-1952, the Sessions Judge, South Kanara, convicted him under Section 120b read with Section 302 and Section 109 of the Indian Penal Code and sentenced him to death. The other two accused were convicted under Section 302 read with section 34 of the Indian Penal Code and sentenced to death. The High Court of Madras confirmed the convictions and sentences. On 18-3-1954 the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal presented by the present petitioner. On a petition for merey in July 1951 the President of India commuted the sentences of death passed on these three accused to transportation for life.
( 5 ) ON Re-organisation of States, the petitioner was transferred to the Central Jail, Bangalore. It is not disputed by the State that by 11-4-1967 he had served his sentence for a period of 14 years 3 months and 2 days and that by the end of the year 1966 he had earned remission of 4 years 3 months and 3 days. under the Rules framed under the Prisons Act. It is not disputed by the State that under Note to Rule 314-A of the said Rules, option is given to him of converting gratuity earned by him into certain extra remission, subject to Rule 306. Rule 306 provides that the total remission awarded to a prisoner under all these Rules shall not without the special sanction of government, exceed one-fourth part of his sentence.
( 6 ) THE contention put forward in the petition was that the Government had no power to detain a convict sentenced to imprisonment for life, after he had served 15 years of imprisonment which would include the actual period of imprisonment and the period of remission earned by the prisoner and that as he had served more than 15 years imprisonment (Including remission earned) he was entitled to be released from Jail. He relied on the ruling of this Court in Basappa mudukappa v State of Mysore. (1959) 37 Mvs LJ 202
( 7 ) MR. B. K. Rarnachandia Rao frankly stated that the decision of the Supreme Court in G. V. Godse v. State of Maharashtra. AIR1961 SC 600 , (1961 )63 bomlr517 , 1961 Crilj736a , [1961 ]3 SCR440 fully covers the present case. As pointed by this court in WP 1359/65 in the light of the pronouncement of the Supreme Court in G. V. Godse's case. AIR1961 SC 600 , (1961 )63 BOMLR517 , 1961 crilj736a , [1961 ]3 SCR440 the decision of this Court in Basappa Mudukappa's case, (1959)37 Mys L. J. 202 is no longer good law.
( 8 ) IN G. V. Godse's case AIR1961 SC 600 , (1961 )63 BOMLR517 , 1961 Crilj736a , [1961 ]3 SCR440 the Supreme Court explained the legal position thus: A prisoner sentenced to life imprisonment is bound in law to serve the life term in prison, unless the said sentence is commuted or remitted by appropriate authority under the relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code or the Code of Criminal Procedure. For the purpose of working out remiss
