SRINAGAR: The Supreme Court has directed the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir to formulate a policy on the premature release of convicts based on the duration of imprisonment served.
The order was issued by a Bench led by Justice Surya Kant while hearing a plea by Anand Kumar Singh, a former CRPF personnel sentenced to life imprisonment for fatally shooting three colleagues, including a senior officer, in 2006 following a dispute. Singh, who has been in custody for over 18 years, sought premature release, but the UT Administration opposed it, citing the absence of a relevant policy.
The Bench, also comprising Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, stated that the lack of a policy was not a tenable ground for denial. It directed the Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir to address the matter with the competent authority and submit a compliance report by the next hearing on January 3, 2025.
