Bhubaneswar: The State Government has decided to release 49 lifers from the jails for the upcoming Republic Day. They will be released after the Governor gives his assent to the State Government.

A decision to this effect was taken at a high-level board meeting of the Sentence Board, held under the chairmanship of the State Home Secretary TK Mishra on Saturday at the State Secretariat. The convicts are languishing in 20 jails across the State. They will be set free on the principle and guidelines of the Human Rights Commission.

However, only those lifers will be released who have already languished in the jail for more than 14-years and changed have their behaviour. Out of these, 28 belong to ST and 8 from SC group. All of them have been convicted with life imprisonment for murder. State Home Secretary TK Mishra said that the board received 94 proposals. Out of these, 45 proposals were not taken into consideration.

He further said those who were involved in serious crimes like dacoity, rape, murder and killing of child, they would not be pardoned. Only those who killed some one in a sudden spur of a moment, they would only be showed sympathy.