41 life convicts are set to walk free as Delhi Sentence Review Board (SRB) has recommended their release while rejecting the cases of 60 others, including tandoor case's convict, Sushil Kumar Sharma, and Kishori Lal who was convicted in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
A senior Delhi government official said that out of 41, fourty convicts are those who have spent over 14 years in jail and one is terminally-ill convict and admitted at DDU Hospital since a long time. An application for his premature release was sent to President Pranab Mukherjee for his nod.
The SRB, chaired by Delhi Home Minister Satyendar Jain, had in December also recommended the release of 44 life convicts from Tihar Jail.
The official said that the Sentence Review Board is a quasi-judicial body which has Law Secretary, Home Secretary, Session Judge and a top level police officer as its members.
"In its meeting held last week, SRB had received a total of 101 life convicts' cases from Tihar Jail authorities. Out of 101, we have recommended to free 41 life convicts while cases of 60 others have been rejected," Jain said.
The Home Minister said out of 41 life convicts, recommendations for freeing 38 have been sent to Lt Governor Najeeb Jung for approval.
Two other cases, were probed by the CBI, were sent to the Centre as the matter is related to central probe agency.
"The 60 cases which were rejected include former Congress leader Sushil Sharma, convicted of murdering his wife Naina Sahni and trying to burn her body in a tandoor in 1995. Besides, the case of Kishori Lal who is convicted in the anti-Sikh riots, was also rejected by the SRB," the official added.
