1997 Melavalavu Massacre | Madras High Court Asks State To Revoke Remission Of Accused After He Was Accused Of Attacking Man

The Madras High Court has asked the state authorities to revoke the remission order and restore the conviction and sentence imposed on Sekar, one of the accused in the 1997 Melavalavu Massacre after he was accused of attacking a man. 130 under Rule 341 of the Tamil Nadu Prison Rules, 1983 puts a probation period of three years, it could not be assumed that after such period the life convict could indulge in any crime and that the authorities need not bother about the same. “Such a restriction clause cannot be taken for granted to infer that after a period of three years from the date of premature release, the life convict prisoner can indulge into any crime and that would not attract the provisions for revocation of such remission and the authorities concerned need not bother about the relapse of the prisoner even when it is brought to their notice, especially, when the power of the authorities to revoke the remission order has not been taken away,” the court observed. The court noted that Clause 1 of the Form mandated the life convict prisoner to accept and fulfil all the conditions till the date of expiry of the normal period of imprisonment.