Prayagraj: Describing it as a “disturbing state of affairs”, the Allahabad high court has expressed grave concern over the grant of remission to a life convict in a murder case who was released after serving only five years, 10 months and 18 days in prison.The court sought a personal affidavit from the principal secretary (home), Uttar Pradesh, explaining the criteria and basis on which such remission was granted.A division bench of Justice Ajay Bhanot and Justice Divesh Chandra Samant was hearing a criminal writ petition filed by Shailendra Singh of Kanpur Nagar.Counsel for the petitioner submitted that the principal accused, Jai Deo Singh, had been convicted under Sections 302 (murder) and 148 of the Indian Penal Code and sentenced to life imprisonment. However, despite the gravity of the offence, he was granted remission after serving only five years, 10 months and 18 days of his sentence, the petitioner alleged.Taking serious note of the submission, the court in its July 3 order observed: “Prima facie, this appears to be a rather disturbing state of affairs regarding the manner in which a person convicted of a grave offence and sentenced to imprisonment for life was granted remission after serving only five and a half years.”Seeking a response from the state’s top home department official, the bench directed the petitioner to implead Jai Deo Singh as a co-respondent in the case and ordered that notice be issued to him.After issuing the directions, the court ordered that the matter be listed again after four weeks. The State of Uttar Pradesh and the director general of prisons and correctional administration have been made respondents in the writ petition.In the present case, the petitioner – Shailendra Singh — is co-accused in this case. He was awarded life term along with the principal offender – Jai Deo Singh — in 2019 by the sessions court of Kanpur Dehat. At present, he is in jail.However, later the state government, exercising its power, withdrew the criminal case against the Jai Deo Singh in 2025. Thereafter, following this order, he was released from jail of Kanpur Dehat.According to counsel for the petitioner, Vashishtha Narayan Tripathi, the co-accused Shailendra Singh filed the present writ petition with a prayer to the court to direct his release as the principal offender has already been released last year. Apart from this, he had also taken the ground of falling health and his 71 years of age.
