West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday announced her decision to release 51 prisoners who have been serving life sentences in various jails in the state. She also made it clear that her government would not oppose the bail of ailing CPI(Maoist) politburo member Sushil Roy. Ms Banerjee pardoned the remaining sentence of 51 prisoners, including two women, to mark International Human Rights Day. “Some of these prisoners have been in the jail for a long period,” she said, adding that two of them were SUCI workers.
Ms Banerjee announced that following a mass petition from Magsaysay Award winner writer Mahasweta Devi, she has decided to not oppose the bail plea of Maoist politburo member Sushil Roy. “Considering his age and failing health — he is undergoing treatment — the government will not oppose his bail. It is upto the court to take the decision,” she added.
Ms Banerjee claimed that she had already released 83 prisoners, including 55 political prisoners. “We have kept the promise which we had made before the polls,” she added.
Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Surjya Kanta Mishra flayed the chief minister for her reluctance to attend the House.
Meanwhile, because of serious differences with chairman of the West Bengal Human Rights Commission Justice Ashok Ganguly, the chief minister decided to give an International Human Rights Day programme at the Calcutta high court a miss.