IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA Criminal Writ Jurisdiction Case No.622 of 2024 Arising Out of PS. Case No.-52 Year-1983 Thana- DIGHALBANK District- Kishanganj ====================================================== Abdul Hannan, Son of Late Abdul Aziz Resident of madarsa tola Village- laxmipur p o and p s -korhobari district -Kishanganj ... ... Petitioner/s Versus 1. The State Of Bihar Through The Chief Secretary, Govt. Of Bihar, Patna Bihar 2. The Chief Secretary Govt. Of Bihar, Patna Bihar 3. The Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Govt. Of Bihar, Patna Bihar 4. The Law Secretary, Dept. Of Law, Govt. Of Bihar, Patna Bihar 5. The Inspector General Of Prison, Govt. Of Bihar, Patna Bihar 6. The State Sentence Remission Board Through The Principal Secretary, Home Dept. Govt. of Bihar 7. The Superintedent Of Police, Kishnaganj, Bihar 8. The District Probation Officer, Kishanganj, Bihar 9. The Superintendent Of Jail, Central, Jail, Bhagalpur, Bihar ... ... Respondent/s ====================================================== Appearance : For the Petitioner/s : Mr. Satish Kumar Sinha, Advocate For the Respondent/s : Mr. Prabhakar Thakur, AC to GA-13 ====================================================== CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE BIBEK CHAUDHURI ORAL ORDER 10 28-01-2025 1. The Petitioner is a life convict, aged about 80 years. The instant writ petition has been filed praying for pre-mature release of the Petitioner on the ground that he already completed more than 15 years of his physical incarceration and more than 20 years with remission in connection with Sessions Trial No. 223 of 1983 / TR No. 186 of 2006, arising out of Dighal Bank P. S. Case No. 52 of 1983. 2. It is submitted by the learned Advocate appearing Patna High Court CR. WJC No.622 of 2024(10) dt.28-01-2025 2/4 on behalf of the Petitioner that the Petitioner is now aged about 80 years and suffering from various age related ailments. 3. The learned Advocate on behalf of the State Respondents, on the other hand, takes me to a supplementary counter affidavit, dated 10th of January, 2025, wherein a notification, bearing No. 3-81-550, dated 21st of January, 1984, issued by the Law (Justice) Department, Government of Bihar and submits that paragraph 2 of the said notification delineates the grounds where a life convict can be released by the State Sentence Review Board before completion of his life term. Paragraph Nos. 2 and 3 of the said notification (adhiniyam) are relevant and quoted below: - “2- nks’k fl) gks tkus ij ;fn fdlh dks ,sls vijk/k ds fy, vkthou dkjkokl dk n.M fn;k x;k gks] ftlds fy, fn;s tkus okys n.Mksa esa ls ,d e`R;q n.M gks vFkok ;fn n.M izfdz;k lafgrk 1973 dh /kkjk 433 ds vUrxZr e`R;q n.M dks vkthou dkjkokl esa :ikUrfjr dj fn;k x;k gks rFkk bl izdkj] vkthou dkjkokl dk n.M fnukad 18-12-1978 dks vFkok blds ckn fn;k x;k gks] rks ,sls canh dks rHkh dkjk ls eqDr fd;k tk ldsxk] tc%& ¼d½ mlus nks’k fl) gksus dh frfFk ls pkSng o’kksZa dh vof/k dkjk esas O;rhr dj yh gks] ¼[k½ ifjgkj rFkk dkjkokl dh vof/k dk ;ksxQy chl o’kZ gks x;k gks] 3- vkthou dkjkokl dh n.M okys vU; cafn;ksa dks ifjgkj feykdj dkjkokl dh vof/k chl o’kZ gks tkus ij eqDr fd;k tk ldsxkA” 4. It is submitted by learned Advocate for the Respondents that since the petitioner has not completed 20 years of incarceration with remission, he is not entitled to pre-mature Patna High Court CR. WJC No.622 of 2024(10) dt.28-01-2025 3/4 release. 5. The learned Advocate for the Petitioner, on the other hand, submits that the petitioner was duly recommended by the Correctional Home Authority earlier for pre-mature release. However, the State Sentence Review Board (SSRB) did not consider his prayer. It is further contended by the learned Advocate on behalf of the Petitioner that the Respondent Nos. 5 and 9 filed a counter affidavit in the instant writ petition on 21st of June, 2024, annexing a notification, dated 10th of December, 2002, issued by the Home (Special) Department, Government of Bihar. In the said notification, a detailed guideline has been stated in paragraph III, which is quoted below: - “(iii) le;&iwoZ fjgkbZ ds fy, vgZrk jkT; naMkns”k ifjgkj i’kZn~ }kjk le;&iwoZ fjgkbZ ds fy, fopkj gsrq fuEufyf[kr dksfV ds canh ik= gksaxs%& ¼d½ izR;sd fl)nks’k canh] iq:’k vFkok efgyk] tks vkthou dkjkokl dk naM Hkqxr jgk@jgh gks rFkk tks naM izfdz;k lafgrk dh /kkjk 433¼,½ ds izko/kkuksa ls vkPNkfnr gks] fcuk ifjgkj ds de&ls&de 14 o’kksZa dh okLrfod ltk Hkqxrus ds rqjar ckn le;&iwoZ fjgkbZ ds fy, fopkj djus gsrq ik= gksaxsA ¼[k½ lHkh vU; vkthou dkjkokl dh ltk izkIr iq:’k fl)nks’k canh] ifjgkj lfgr 14 o’kksZa dh U;wure ltk Hkqxrus vkSj fcuk ifjgkj ds 10 o’kksZa dh okLrfod ltk iwjh djus ds mijkUr le; iwoZ fjgkbZ ds fy, fopkj djus ds ik= gksaxsA ¼x½ lHkh vU;] vkthou dkjkokl dh ltk Hkksx jgh efgyk fl)nks’k cUnh] ifjgkj lfgr 10 o’kksZa dh U;wure ltk Hkqxrus vkSj fcuk ifjgkj 7 o’kksZa dh okLrfod ltk vof/k iwjh djus ds mijkUr le; iwoZ fjgkbZ ds fy, fopkj djus dh ik= gksxhA ¼?k½ fl)nks’k canh] tks vkthou dkjkokl dh ltk dkV jgs gksa] 65 o’kZ dh vk;q iqjh djus ij] ;fn ifjgkj lfgr mUgksaus 7 o’kksZa ds lalheu dh ltk dkV yh gks A Patna High Court CR. WJC No.622 of 2024(10) dt.28-01-2025 4/4 ¼p½ vkthou dkjkokl dk naM Hkqxr jgs oSls fl)nks’k canh tks dSUlj] ,M~l] Bhd u gksus okyh fdMuh dh chekjh] g`n; ,oa “okl ls twMs+ vlk/; jksx ,oa vU; ,slh NwvkNwr okyh chekjh ls xzLr gksa] tSlk fd fpfdRldksa ds ,d cksMZ }kjk izekf.kr gks] ;fn mUgksaus 5 o’kksZa ds okLrfod vFkok ifjgkj lfgr 7 o’kksZa dk naM Hkqxr fy;k gksA” 6. The said notification does not say any requirement of 20 years incarceration with remission. Since the notification dated 10th of December, 2002, issued by the Home (Special) Department, Government of Bihar is the latest notification on this subject, the same shall prevail over the notification of the year 1984. 7. In view of such circumstances, the petitioner is entitled to be considered by the SSRB / Respondents for his pre- mature release. The Inspector General of Prison, Government of Bihar, Patna, Respondent No. 5, is directed to refer the case of the Petitioner before the State Sentence Review Board with all documents positively in its next meeting for consideration by the Board for pre-mature release of the petitioner. With the aforesaid direction, the instant petition along with Interlocutory Application(s) stands disposed of. skm/- (Bibek Chaudhuri, J) U