Tamil Nadu releases 16 prisoners under amnesty scheme

CHENNAI: For 41-year-old M Velu, the premature release from prison was like rebirth. “I feel like a new man. It is a rebirth for me,” said farmer M Velu who stepped out of the Vellore central prison for Men on Thursday along with seven other fellow inmates.
He spent 13 years and six months behind the high walls of the prison in connection with a murder case. He expressed regret for losing the prime of his youth and missing the opportunity to see his son and daughter grow up. Velu, along with seven others, stepped out of the central prison on Thursday following a government order granting them premature release under an amnesty scheme.
From Cuddalore Central Prisons, seven inmates were were released. They were shortlisted for the premature release as per the guidelines drafted by the state government following an announcement by chief minister M K Stalin in the state assembly on September 13 last year that 700 prisoners would be released under the amnesty scheme to mark DMK founder and late CM C N Annadurai’s 113rd birth anniversary.
“There are several prisoners who are longing for freedom and eagerly awaiting every single day for the orders (GO) to release them,” Velu said. His daughter and family came in a car after receiving the communication about Velu’s release and received him. Jamuna was excited on hearing the news of her father’s release on Wednesday night.
“My wife (Jamuna) always talks about her father and wants to take care of him when he comes out of prison. She has not been with him since she was a 11- year-old girl,” said Velu’s son-in-law Sridhar. They hail from Echampallam village in Dharmapuri’s Palacode taluk. Recounting his life behind bars, Velu said the shoe manufacturing unit of the prison industry in Vellore was his solace during his incarceration to overcome his trauma. He worked in the prison unit for 10 years.
“It helped me earn and support my family financially to some extent. Whenever I go on leave (parole), I take with me `7,000 to `10,000 that I earned as wages from the boot making unit,” said Velu. “We will release the inmates in batches based on the orders from the government. The 16 released today were from the second batch. On August 15, we released five life convicts from Vellore prison,” said a senior prison official. Besides, the state government had released a total of 19 convicts (10 on August 15 and 9 on August 28), who spent nearly 60% of their punishment period under the Union government’s special remission to mark the celebration of the 75th year of Independence.
The Vellore district prisoners’ discharge aid society has also extended assistance to seven of the convicts, who were released. “Since the convicts were farmers, we distributed agricultural appliances to them to support their livelihood,” said secretary of the society S N Janardhanan. Another prisoner, who preferred anonymity, said life behind prison turned their life upside down and affected their families. “I want to spend the rest of my life rebuilding my life with my children. But there is always fear of how society will accept me. We heard many prisoners, who were released a couple of years ago, struggling to fit into society,” said another prisoner.