Bhullar’s plea for premature release rejected once again

New Delhi: Sentence Review Board (SRB) of Delhi govt has once again rejected the premature release plea of Davinderpal Singh Bhullar, a convict in the 1993 Delhi Youth Congress office bomb blast case."The board, in its meeting, considered the cases of 51 convicts for premature release. Out of them, 24 cases were rejected. The board recommended remitting the unexpired term of sentence of 26 life-term convicts," said an official. The blast had killed nine people and injured several. The plea for Bhullar's premature release had been rejected on multiple occasions over the years by SRB. Each time, the decision was taken after a detailed assessment of legal provisions and security considerations, said officials. The case has remained politically sensitive, with several Sikh organisations and Punjab-based parties pressing for his release on humanitarian grounds.SRB is a high-level seven-member committee chaired by the home minister, which meets occasionally to evaluate the premature release of life convicts. Its members include the principal secretary (home), the secretary of law and justice, the director general of prisons and a district and sessions judge. To maintain security and social perspectives, the board also features a senior officer from Delhi Police and the director of the social welfare department. The board's decisions are subject to the approval of the lieutenant governor."Each case placed before SRB is examined on its own merits. The board takes into account the nature of the offence, legal parameters and other relevant factors," said an official. LG has approved the remission for the 26 convicts, stated an order issued by the home department on Feb 5.The convicts who are granted the relief have to follow certain conditions, such as not entering Delhi for a year from the date of his release except with prior intimation to police for a cogent reason. Each of them should also report to the station house officer of the native police station in the first week of every month for the same duration.