Mysuru: Mysuru Central Jail this morning released 10 inmates (technically 9 as one inmate has completed his jail term) convicted in petty crimes (that attracted simple imprisonment) as part of the amnesty scheme offered by the Centre on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary. The 10 inmates were among the 45 inmates who were released from various prisons across the State, according to officials.

Prison officials said that among those to be released have served almost two-third of their jail sentence and were convicted for crime which exclude murder, rape, kidnap and other serious offences including dowry death, human trafficking and those who have been convicted under POCSO Act.

The proposal to release prisoners was accepted by the State government on Oct. 1, while the actual release took place today. The release is a goodwill gesture on the occasion of 150th Gandhi Jayanti observed on Tuesday.

The Committee which came up with the list and sent to the Central Government comprised Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Principal Secretary of Law, Director General of Police (Prisons) and Additional Director General of Police (Prisons).

Those who were released from Mysuru Jail were Erappa from Vaddarahalli village, Arakalagud Taluk, Hassan; Thimmegowda of Nelamane village; Nagaraja alias Naga from Menasa village in Somwarpet, Kodagu; H.P. Shivakumar of Nalkeri village; Chandrashekar of Nanjangud; Chennappa and Annappa from Halagandur village, Tarikere Taluk in Chikkamagaluru; Shivalinga of Hootagalli in Mysuru; Raju from Belur village in Hassan and Devaraju of Chikkarasanapalya at Sathyamangala in Erode District of Tamil Nadu.  

Among the convicts who were released, Devaraju of Chikkarasanapalya had completed his jail term on Oct. 3 and he was due to be released. So, technically, nine convicts were released today. Principal District and Sessions Judge S.L. Vantigodi released the prisoners and as part of the release, blankets that were prepared by the jail inmates were presented to the freed jail birds.

Also, three books on Mahatma Gandhi — “Gandhi and Freedom Struggle”, “Mahatma Gandhi in Jail” and “Gandhi’s Global Outlook” — were gifted to them. District Surgeon Dr. M. Pashupathi, Sister Joyce from Prison Ministry India NGO, Principal of Prison Training School V. Shesha Murthy and Jail Superintendent P.B. Ananda Reddy were present.  

Addressing the inmates, Judge Vantigodi advised them to lead a respectable life. “While committing the crime, you would not have realised that your freedom will be snatched. Freedom is the greatest gift for a human being and life inside the four walls of a jail is un-nerving most of the times,” he said.

A jail teaches a convict about values of life and will enable him to chart a path of reformation. “Even a hardened criminal is softened up and his nature and outlook changes inside the regimental life of a prison,” he said.