Narrating the theory of reformative justice, summarised in the words of the eminent jurist and a former Judge of the Supreme Court Justice V R Krishna Iyer, Singh said, “Every saint has a past, every sinner has a future.”Singh in his plea said that he repented the offences as he was then “overwhelmed by distress at the barbaric deeds inflicted upon India by the Mughals and the British”.Singh, in his plea, sought remission and alleged that the state authorities had failed to address several representations sent for his remission and premature release, jeopardising his right under Article 21 of the Constitution.Justifying that he should be granted remission, as he has already undergone more than the qualified period of jail setence of 14 years and more, as stipulated in the remission policy of April 19, 2022.”I am around 61 years age. I have never been released on parole,” Singh, who originally hailed from Auraiya District in Uttar Pradesh, said in his plea making a watertight case of his remission.He also stated that when his mother passed away, he could not perform her last rites.The petitioner, lodged in Keonjhar district jail, said that he acknowledged and deeply regretted the transgressions perpetrated more than two decades ago.”In the fervor of youth, fueled by impassioned reactions to the brutal history of India, the petitioner’s psyche momentarily lost restraint and it is imperative for the court to scrutinise not merely the actions but the underlying intent, noting that there was no personal animosity harboured towards any victim,” Singh in his plea said.Singh said that his actions arose out of the fervent desire to protect the nation rather than stemming from personal malice. He sought a “fair evaluation of the circumstances surrounding those tumultuous times,” his plea added.Citing various judgments involving similar circumstances and gravity of offences, he said that the court has granted release of life convicts on the grounds of good conduct inside the jail, the period of incarceration undergone, etc. So he should also be released on these grounds from jail.
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