HC dismisses PIL seeking release of those serving life terms

The Allahabad High Court today dismissed a PIL requesting release of all seriously ill prisoners lodged in various jails and who were serving life sentence.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice D B Bhosale and Justice Yashwant Varma dismissed the PIL observing "if any prisoner is seriously ill, he can always lay claim to treatment on government expense. But the release of a prisoner can not be held to be in public interest".
"If a person has been sentenced for life upon being convicted for murder, then it would be in public interest that he spends his life behind the bars," the court added.

The petitioners had pleaded for directions to authorities concerned that prisoners who were serving life sentences in poor physical health may be considered for release on humanitarian grounds.