'Confession will reduce jail sentence'

Principal Senior Civil Judge J R Mendonsa on Tuesday asserted that the accused would get the benefit of reduction in the period of sentence, if he or she confessed to crime.

Addressing prisoners at the legal awareness camp organised at Central Prisons Mysore, Mendonsa said, in the wake of rise in number of pending cases before the courts in general, the judiciary had launched a campaign to create awareness on the advantage of confession among the accused.

Explaining the procedure, Mendonsa said that if the accused confessed to the crime 24 hours within the chargesheet being filed, their period of sentence would be reduced.

Mendonsa said that not many were aware of the benefits behind confessing to the crime.

Continuing, Mendonsa said that it was also the prime duty of the police to produce the accused before the court within the stipulated time of 24 hours.

The police are also duty bound to inform the relatives (of the accused) in the event of arrests. Else it could be deemed as illegal and action could be initiated against the police.