Rape Convict Released Earlier For Scoring Well In Yoga
A prisoner convicted of the crime of rape was freed from the Central Prison in Nagpur last week, 40 days before the completion his term. This is because of the new scheme launched by the Maharashtra government under which a prisoner’s sentence can be remitted if he scores well in Yoga test. This is for the first time a convict became the beneficiary of the scheme launched by the state prisons department. Sheetal Kawale was convicted by a lower court in 2012 for raping a relative. His sentence got remitted after he scored distinction in Yoga test held this year.
Now, more than 100 convicts have benefitted under the scheme and qualified for the remission. Kawale’s sentence got remitted this early because he was close to the completion of his jail period.
The decision to remit jail sentences on the basis of performance in Yoga was taken by the Central government last year that asked state governments to promote discipline through Yoga. Maharashtra government welcomed Centre’s decision in December last year. The state prison department conducts the test in all seven central prisons. There is a written and physical exam and those who excel are offered remission with respect to their performance. Apart from Kawale, seven prisoners, four each from Nagpur and Aurangabad central jails, have so far got remission ranging between 30 and 40 days.