Criminal Writ Petition No. 258 of 2011 1 In the High Court of Punjab and Haryana, at Chandigarh. Criminal Writ Petition No. 258 of 2011 Date of Decision: 22.2.2011 Sumitra …Petitioner Versus State of Haryana and Others …Respondents CORAM: HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE KANWALJIT SINGH AHLUWALIA. Present: Mr. V.S. Rana, Advocate for the petitioner. Mr. Anoop Sharma, Assistant Advocate General, Punjab, for the respondents . Kanwaljit Singh Ahluwalia, J. (Oral) The present writ petition has been filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India praying that a direction be issued to the respondents to release the petitioner as she has completed her entire sentence, in accordance with the Policy of the State, after the remissions are taken into consideration. Briefly stated, the case of petitioner is that she was tried in a case FIR No. 456 dated 21.12.1998, registered at Police Station Meham, under Section 302 IPC. Vide judgment dated 9.4.2002, passed by the Court of Additional Sessions Judge, Rohtak, she was convicted for the offence under Section 302 IPC and vide a separate order dated 11.4.2002, she was sentenced to undergo life imprisonment and to pay Criminal Writ Petition No. 258 of 2011 2 a fine of ` 500, in default whereof to further undergo rigorous imprisonment for a period of one month. It is further submitted that the petitioner has undergone eight years and three months out of her actual sentence as on 22.1.2011. The petitioner has also earned the benefit of four years' remissions. Thus, the total sentence undergone by the petitioner is more than 12 years. A reliance has been placed upon the Policy of the State Government issued regarding premature release of life convicts on 8.8.2000. Learned counsel for the petitioner contends that as per para 2(c) of the Policy, the petitioner is entitled to be released from the Jail. In response thereto, Sukh Ram, Superintendent, B.I. & J. Jail, Hisar, has filed a reply by way of his affidavit, wherein it is stated as under:- “2. That the premature release case of the petitioner under the Haryana Government Policy dated 8.8.2000 has already been sent to the Director General of Prisons, Haryana, for put up before the State Level Committee vide this official letter No. 2192 dated 11.8.2010. The premature release case of the petitioner has been considered by the S.L.C. On 27.01.11 and final order of the Govt. are awaited. Hence, the present petition deserves to be dismissed on this sole ground...” Learned counsel for the State has submitted that the State Government shall take active steps to take a final decision on the recommendations of the State Level Committee submitted on 27.1.2011. Criminal Writ Petition No. 258 of 2011 3 After hearing learned counsel or the parties, the present writ petition is disposed of by directing the respondents to pass a final order on the pre-mature release case of the petitioner as considered by the State Level Committee on 27.1.2011, within a period of two months from the date of receipt of a certified copy of this order. A copy of the order passed by the State Government shall be sent to the petitioner. Liberty is also granted to the petitioner that in case she is not satisfied with the order, passed by the State Government, she may assail the same, in accordance with the provisions of law. (Kanwaljit Singh Ahluwalia) Judge February 22, 2011 “DK”