Bill introduced to ease the process of granting temporary leave to prisoners

The Tamil Nadu government on Monday introduced a bill in the Assembly to amend a provision of the Goondas Act, 1982, to ease the process of granting temporary leave to detainees to attend the last rites of their close relatives.

The bill, introduced by the Minister of Electricity, Prohibition and Excise, V. Senthil Balaji, seeks to amend section 15 of the Act to include a new provision that allows the Commissioner of Police or District Magistrate to detain prisoners on temporary leave on certain occasions. right to release. ,

In this Act, ‘close relative’ shall mean “father, mother or husband, as the case may be, son, daughter, full brother or full sister,” reads the Bill. it may be remembered that Hindu In August last year, it was told that the state is ready to ease the process.

Although the government received representations from prisoners or their relatives for the grant of temporary release, mainly for attending the wedding of blood relatives or the funerals of close relatives, “the representations were able to be disposed of in a timely manner, despite sincere efforts”. There are no .. reasons for following administrative procedures,” the bill said.

The Committee for Amendment of Criminal Rules of the Madras High Court had taken note of Section 15, petitions filed before the Court for grant of such relief and the obstacles faced by the Government. It recommended amendment of section 15 to delegate powers to grant temporary release. Accordingly, the Government, after careful consideration of the said recommendation, has decided to amend the said Act, the Bill said.