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1992 Supreme(P&H) 138

PUNJAB & HARYANA HIGH COURT
S.S.Grewal, J.
Om Parkash
Versus
State Of Haryana
Criminal Misc. No. 12925-M of 1991,
Decided On : JANUARY 28, 1992

The deferment of the decision for pre-mature release did not amount to rejection, and the state was not obligated to provide precise reasons for the deferment.

Headnote:

Pre-mature Release - Criminal Procedure - The court considered the petitioner's entitlement to pre-mature release under the 1988 instructions and the subsequent deferment of the decision based on new instructions. The court held that the deferment did not amount to rejection and that the state was not obligated to provide precise reasons for the deferment. The court directed the state to reconsider the case after one year or when the petitioner becomes eligible under the new instructions.

Fact of the Case:

The petitioner, a life convict, sought pre-mature release after serving 9-1/2 years of actual sentence and 15 years including remissions. The state deferred the decision based on new instructions, leading to the petitioner's grievance.

Finding of the Court:

The court held that the deferment did not amount to rejection and that the state was not obligated to provide precise reasons for the deferment. The court directed the state to reconsider the case after one year or when the petitioner becomes eligible under the new instructions.

Issues: Entitlement to pre-mature release under 1988 instructions, deferment of decision based on new instructions, obligation of state to provide reasons for deferment.

Ratio Decidendi: The deferment of the decision did not amount to rejection, and the state was not obligated to provide precise reasons for the deferment. The petitioner's right under Article 161 of the Constitution of India is to have his case considered for the grant of pre-mature release.

Final Decision: The petition stands dismissed, with the direction for the state to reconsider the case for pre-mature release after one year or when the petitioner becomes eligible under the new instructions.

Judgment

S.S.Grewal, J.

1. This petition under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, read with Articles 161 and 227 of the Constitution of India, relates to grant of pre-mature release of the petitioner under, the instructions issued by the State of Haryana in the year, 1988.

2. It is a alleged that, the petitioner is a life convict and has already undergone actual sentence of 9-1/2 years by now and about 15 years imprisonment including remissions. The petitioners pre-mature release case was not considered upon completion of 14 years including remissions. That according to 1988 instructions he is entitled to get his case for grant of pre-mature release considered by the State Govt. It was further pleaded that the Jail Punishment awarded to the petitioner on 27th of September, 1988 was not to be considered by the State Govt. and his case for premature release was to be decided unmindful of the Jail Punishment. It was also pleaded that the petitioner has maintained good conduct in the jail and that he was not convicted for any heinous offence and is stated to have given bone deep injuries only.

3. This petition has been resisted by the State on the ground that the state level committe after taking into consideration the facts and circumstances of the case deferred his case for one year and the Govt. of Haryana accepted the recommendations of the State level committee.

4. The learned counsel for the parties were heard. The main grievance of the petitioner is that his case for grant of pre-mature release had to be considered according to 1988 instructions and that because the decision to grant pre mature release to the petitioner has been deferred subsequently his case would be considered according to the new instructions which came into force on 19th of November, 1991, in the State of Haryana. According to the latest instructions, the actual period of detention is 10 years if his case falls (sic) 2(b) before the case of the detenu is to be considered.

5. The fact remains that the case for grant of pre-mature release to the petitioner was considered both by the State level committee as well as by the State Govt. prior to coming into force of the new instructions. It is true that no reason is given for deferring the case for grant of pre-mature release to the petitioner, but, at the same time the said case has not been rejected, as was the case in Gurbux Singh v. State of Punjab, 1990(2) Recent CR 213 wherein it was observed that once the State Govt. has laid down guidelines, it is incumbent upon the Govt. to give reasons for withholding concession of remission of sentence, because all possibilities of arbitrariness on the part of Government cannot be ruled out. The facts of the authority in Gurbux Singh case (supra) were entirely different and to my mind the principle enunciated in the said authority is not applicable to the facts of the case in hand, it was not obligatory for the State Govt. or for the State level committee to give precise reasons for deferring the case of the petitioner for considering the case for grant of pre-mature relase to the petitioner. The argument of the learned counsel for the petitioner that even if the consideration of the case for grant of premature release to a detenu is deferred, the same would amount to rejection, is hardly tenable. The only right of the detenu under Article 161 of the Constitution of India is to have his case considered for the grant of pre mature release. The mere fact that new instructions would come into force later on would not, be sufficient to hold that the order of the State Government in the present case was arbitrary. It seems that the State Level Committee probably wanted to further watch the conduct of the petitioner. For the foregoing reasons, there is no ground for holding that the impugned order passed by the State Government in this case is illegal or-arbitrary. However it is directed that both the State Level Committee and the State Govt. would cons

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