In
a landmark ruling on Friday, August 23, the Supreme Court of India announced
that the relaxed bail provisions for first-time offenders under the Bharatiya
Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) will have a retrospective effect. This decision
means that even offences committed before the BNSS came into force on July 1,
2024, will be subject to these provisions, offering potential relief to
numerous undertrial prisoners across the country.
Under
this ruling, first-time offenders detained in ongoing criminal cases can now
seek bail under the BNSS provisions, which significantly reduces the period of
detention required before release. This could have far-reaching implications
for India’s prison system, which is currently grappling with severe
overcrowding.
According to the 2022 report from the National Crime
Records Bureau (NCRB), India’s 1,330 prisons are operating at 131.4 per cent
capacity, with approximately 75 per cent of the 573,200 inmates being
undertrials. The Supreme Court’s decision could bring much-needed relief to
these overcrowded prisons by expediting the release of eligible undertrial
prisoners.
Both the BNSS and the now-replaced Criminal
Procedure Code (CrPC) of 1973 contain provisions limiting the maximum period
for which an undertrial prisoner can be detained. Under these laws, if a trial
or investigation is pending, an undertrial prisoner must be released on bail if
they have already served half the maximum sentence prescribed for the offence,
unless the offence is punishable by death or life imprisonment.
The BNSS introduces a crucial change for first-time
offenders—those who have never been convicted before—reducing their detention
period before they can be released on bail. Specifically, if such an individual
has served one-third of the maximum sentence for their alleged offence, they
"shall be released on bond by the Court."
This ruling stems from the ongoing case concerning
inhumane conditions in India’s prisons, which the Supreme Court has been
monitoring since 2013. The case was initiated following a Public Interest
Litigation (PIL) that highlighted issues such as prison overcrowding, unnatural
deaths, and a shortage of trained staff.
On August 13, 2024, Senior Advocate Gaurav Agrawal,
appointed as amicus curiae, urged the Court to implement Section 479 of the
BNSS promptly to address overcrowding. Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya
Bhati confirmed the Union government's support for this move, stating that the
provisions should apply to any undertrial who has completed one-third of their
imprisonment.
The bench, comprising Justices Hima Kohli and
Sandeep Mehta, directed jail superintendents to process applications for all
eligible undertrial prisoners within three months.