State Of Haryana vs Mahender Singh & Ors

The Supreme Court upheld the decision of the Punjab and Haryana High Court declaring the Haryana government's circular on premature release of prisoners unconstitutional. The Court emphasized that the rules under the Prisons Act, 1894, particularly Rules 20 and 21, must be adhered to, which stipulate the conditions under which life convicts may be released. The Court reiterated that any deviation from these statutory provisions undermines the legal framework governing prisoner release, thereby affirming the necessity of compliance with established legal standards.