Gahlot sends file on early release of 14 convicts to CM

New Delhi: Delhi home minister Kailash Gahlot on Tuesday sent a file for the premature release of 14 convicts to CM Atishi to be forwarded to the LG for his approval.
According to officials, these convicts were granted remission by a seven-member Sentence Review Board in a meeting held seven months ago on Feb 23 this year. However, before the file could be processed and sent to former CM Arvind Kejriwal to be forwarded to the LG, the former was arrested in the excise policy-linked money laundering case.The file was directly sent to the LG, but it came back with the recommendation that it should be sent through the chief minister.
After his release on bail earlier this month, Kejriwal tendered his resignation and Atishi became the new chief minister. As part of the new govt, Gahlot took charge of his departments on Tuesday and immediately forwarded the file to the CM.
The AAP govt, in a statement, said that Gahlot had chaired a meeting of the Sentence Review Board in Feb in accordance with statutory provisions. The meeting was attended by the then additional chief secretary (home), director general (prison), principal secretary (law), principal district judge, special commissioner of police, and director of social welfare.
"We believe in offering a second chance to those who have demonstrated genuine remorse and improvement during their incarceration," Gahlot said in a statement.