The Goa government has firmly rejected the premature release of two men convicted for the brutal 2006 murder of a fellow law student, 17-year-old Mandar Surlakar. This decision comes despite a recent Bombay High Court directive to reconsider their case.
High Court Order and Government's Final Verdict
Last month, the Bombay High Court set aside the state government's earlier order that had turned down the convicts' plea for early release. The court instructed the government to take a fresh decision within two weeks, based on the recommendation of the Sentence Review Board.
Acting on this directive, the state home department, after thorough review, has once again denied the release. Under Secretary (Home) Manthan Naik confirmed that the government has informed the Inspector General of Prisons about its decision to reject the premature release of convicts Rohan Dhungat and Shankar Tiwari.
Conflicting Views: Police vs. Sentence Review Board
The government's decision followed a careful examination of all reports and records, including the minutes of the Sentence Review Board. A key point of contention emerged between the police and the review board.
The Superintendent of Police's report did not recommend the prisoners for premature release, heavily weighing the severe nature of their crime. However, the Sentence Review Board rejected the police's stance. The board argued that since all the accused in the case hail from different places, they were unlikely to reoffend.
The government, however, found critical flaws in this logic. Naik pointed out, "The behaviour of the prisoners inside the prison, under the control of the jail authorities, cannot be a testimony of any future behaviour of the prisoners in society, which does not have a similar controlled environment."
Why the Government Stood Firm
The core reason for the rejection lies in the heinous nature of the 2006 crime. The government emphasized that the convicts were involved in a pre-planned, cold-blooded murder of an innocent boy.
"In view of the above, and considering that the prisoners were involved in a preplanned, cold-blooded murder of an innocent boy, the decision of the Sentence Review Board to release prematurely is not agreed to by government," stated Naik, delivering the final word on the matter. This reaffirms the state's stance against leniency for what it deems a calculated and grave offence.
