There won’t be any release of jailbirds on the occasion of 60th Independence Day on Wednesday in the State.
For there isn’t any eligible prisoner left in the State prisons to be freed as a special gesture. “None of jails in the State has eligible prisoner who can be freed. A prisoner who is serving life term and who has completed 10 years of imprisonment, is eligible to release,” Additional Director General of Police (Prisons) S T Ramesh said.

In fact, the State Government had released a record number of 309 prisoners during last year’s Independence Day, as a special gesture to mark Suvarna Karnataka celebrations. The government had relaxed its rules of number of years imprisonment completed from 10 years to eight for this purpose.

“Relaxation of rules was only for last year. It cannot be applied now. As all those who completed eight years were released last year, there is nobody, who has completed 10 years, left to be freed,” Mr Ramesh stated.
Ironically, the Union government has directed all State governments to celebrate this Independence Day in a special way as it coincides with 150th anniversary of war for Indian independence.