<![CDATA[180 prisoners have been identified by the state government for their early release from jail to mark Republic Day on January 26. A division bench of the Madras high court has asked the government to verify if the two men, who filed habeas corpus petitions seeking early release and questioning their exclusion in earlier lists of beneficiaries, will be released. Additional public prosecutor said, the government proposed to release 180 convicts on Republic Day, when the case came up for hearing before a division bench of Justice M Jayachandren and Justice T Mathivanan on Monday. But, it had to be ascertained if the names of the two convicts were on the list, he said. The case has been adjourned by the bench to January 30 for further proceedings. In seven years this is the first time that Tamil Nadu has prepared a list of convicts for premature release. In September 2008 the DMK government released 1,405 people who completed a minimum of seven years in jail. The practice was put on hold after it was questioned and PILs filed. A fresh list of prisoners might be prepared for release from jail to mark the birth anniversary of former chief minister Jayalalithaa who passed away on December 5, 2016, sources said. Her birth anniversary falls on February 24.]]>
