8 years, 9 months and 11 days… this is the total life sentence in the country now. Even if you have committed three murders? If you don’t believe then look at UP’s strong leader Udaybhan Karwaria. He has also been an MLA twice on BJP ticket. He was accused of killing an MLA like himself, his driver and a passerby with an AK-47. That means a total of three murder charges on the head. The court had sentenced him and his relatives to life imprisonment for three murders just five years ago.
He was caught and went to jail three years before he was sentenced. The total count of days he spent in jail till 30 July 2023 was 8 years 9 months 11 days. Now since the sentence was life imprisonment, Katni remained in jail for the rest of her life. But the UP government said that their conduct is very good. Lived like noble people even in jail. The jail itself gave a certificate of his decency. DM Saheb also gave the report that there is no problem in freeing him from jail. Then what was left? The UP government sent the order for their release to the Governor.
Now what could the Governor do? He signed the release order. Therefore, now the jail door just has to open and Udaybhan Karwariya will come out of jail after saving his entire life from life imprisonment. So, life imprisonment of eight years, nine months and eleven days.
Not even a year has passed since the UP government stole the life of another UP MLA Amarmani Tripathi and his wife Madhumani Tripathi from their life imprisonment. Both of them were also sentenced to life imprisonment. In Madhumita murder case. These two turned out to be even more amazing. He spent a large part of his life imprisonment in a hospital instead of a jail and then the UP government through an order reduced his life imprisonment. According to law, in case of murder, either death penalty or life imprisonment is given. There is no punishment less than that. But life imprisonment of eight years, nine months and eleven days may not have any other example.
This is from the 90’s. At that time there used to be an MLA in Prayagraj, Jawahar Yadav alias Jawahar Pandit. Jawahar Pandit had enmity with the Karwariya family regarding the sand contract. On August 13, 1996, Jawahar Pandit was shot in broad daylight in Prayagraj. At the time of the incident, he was traveling in his car with the driver. Then the Karwaria brothers opened fire on them with AK-47. AK-47 was used for the first time in Prayagraj.
In this firing, along with Jawahar Pandit and his driver, a passerby was also killed. The names of Udaybhan, his brother Kapil Muni, uncle Surajbhan and his associate Ramchandra Tripathi alias Kallu were registered in the FIR. But he was not arrested. On the contrary, in 2002, six years after the massacre, BJP gave ticket to Udaybhan from Bara seat of Allahabad. After winning the election he became an MLA. In 2007, he won the election from here for the second time. In 2012, when SP government came to power in the state, the issue of Jawahar Pandit murder case cropped up again. Udaybhan remained absconding for two months after the stay on the case was lifted.
He surrendered on January 1, 2014. Later his brother also went to jail. In October 2018, the Uttar Pradesh government had filed an application to withdraw the case against the Karwaria brothers in the sessions court. It was argued that there was no evidence against him. Jawahar Pandit’s wife Vijma Yadav reached Allahabad High Court against this decision of the government. Then Allahabad High Court had to intervene in this matter. The High Court ruled that the case against the Karwariya brothers will continue in the Sessions Court. On 4th November 2019, the Sessions Court of Prayagraj gave the sentence in this case.
The court convicted Udaybhan, his brothers Surajbhan, Kapilmuni and uncle Ramchandra and sentenced him to life imprisonment. Since then, Udaybhan was lodged in Naini jail of Prayagraj along with his brothers. That means, after the announcement of life imprisonment, only five years have passed since he started serving his sentence in jail. The remaining four years are before the court decision. Despite this, the UP government took the decision to release Udaybhan, who was guilty of three murders, so soon. Obviously, after Udaybhan, the way will be cleared for the release of his other brothers who were sentenced to life imprisonment in the same Jawahar Pandit murder case.
All were involved in the same crime. But this release of Udaybhan is also a mockery of the law.
According to a figure, at present there are more than 12 thousand such prisoners in the jails of UP, who have been sentenced to life imprisonment. There are many of them who have been in jail for 20-25 years. Many are more than 70 years old. All of them also have good behavior in jail. But there is no one to listen to them. Because he is not the leader of any party. But the way the governments are giving premature release to Amarmani and his wife, Bihar’s strongman Anand Mohan and now Udaybhan. This definitely raises the question whether life imprisonment is just a joke. Is life imprisonment only 8 years 9 months and 11 days?