India to seek accession to convention on sentenced people

The union cabinet on Thursday decided to request the Council of Europe for India's accession to the Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons.

According to an official release, acceding to a multilateral convention of the Council of Europe on the transfer of sentenced people, to which 64 states are parties, would obviate the need to enter into bilateral arrangements with each one of them.

The cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, also approved India becoming party to the convention upon receiving formal invitation from the Council of Europe.

Accession to the convention will help Indian prisoners imprisoned in the Council of Europe countries or vice versa, to be near their families for serving the remaining part of their sentence. This would facilitate the process of their social rehabilitation.