-: 1 :- IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY APPELLATE SIDE CRIMINAL WRIT PETITION NO.75 OF 2008 Raju Rang Gauda : Petitioner V/s. State of Maharashtra : Respondent ... Mrs.Rebecca Gonsalves for the petitioner. Mr.D.S.Mhaispurkar, Addl. Public Prosecutor for the State. ... CORAM : BILAL NAZKI & S.A.BOBDE,JJ. DATE : MARCH 03, 2008. P.C. 1. The petitioner has undergone actual imprisonment of almost 17 years and with remissions, he has undergone more than 23 years. Therefore, he submits that he was entitled to be released having served the sentence as he had been sentenced to imprisonment for life. 2. In the counter affidavit, our attention has been drawn to the guidelines for premature release of prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment. It appears that the Government has framed certain guidelines for releasing prisoners prematurely who are sentenced to life imprisonment as it is well-settled that life imprisonment -: 2 :- means imprisonment till the death of a prisoner. One of the categories is category no.5 which deals with murders by professional criminals and category 5(a) shows murders committed by dacoits and robbers in the act of committing dacoities and robberies and the period of imprisonment with remissions should be 26 years. The petitioner has only served 23 years. Therefore, it is submitted that he will have to wait for some time more to get the benefit of the guidelines. The facts disclose that the petitioner was convicted for various offences, including the offences under sections 394 and 397 and sentenced to rigorous imprisonment of ten years, in addition to life imprisonment under section 302. Therefore, his case is squarely covered by category no.5(a). However, the learned counsel for the petitioner submits that category no.5(a) deals with murders by professional criminals and the petitioner not being a professional criminal, his case should not be considered under that category. The term "professional criminals" appears to have been used to make broad classification of prisoners who are convicted for life. Therefore, it has categorised prisoners of murders relating to sexual matters, murders arising out of land dispute, murders for other reasons, murders for political reasons, and murders by professional criminals. It appears that professional murders have been classified in the context of murders which are committed for the purpose -: 3 :- of dacoities, robberies, smuggling, drug trafficking, bootlegging, etc., which would mean that murders committed for some material benefits. 3. Accordingly, the petition is disposed of. (BILAL NAZKI, J.) (S.A. BOBDE, J.)