Convicts whose jail terms were remitted outside the Thane central jail.

August 15: Nagraj Pirmal Kuppuswamy did not know where the path led him when he walked out of prison this afternoon. The 38-year-old father of five was among 25 convicts from Thane central jail whose terms were remitted by the state government on the occasion of the golden jubilee of India's independence.

About 4,000 convicts released from different prisons across the state face an uncertain future since the government has made no provision for rehabilitation.

Apart from his children Kuppuswamy, a resident of Matunga, has to look after his old mother. After serving rigorous imprisonment for four years, he has learnt only tailoring and ironing clothes. ``Today, it is the only option before me to support my family, but I do not know how to go about it. I have neither finance nor any space to start my work,'' he told Express Newsline. That six months from his sentence was remitted is no help.Kuppuswamy was put behind the bars after he was found guilty of stealing money from the Bombay docks.

That six months from his sentence were remitted was of little help. Chances of getting any job is dim. He, however, was happy that he was freed early.

Freedom just 15 days before his one year jail term ended hardly made any difference to Guddan Shabbir Khan (22). He too is confused about his future. Matriculation with knowledge of basic tailoring is not much of a qualification for a job. There is nothing to stop him from going back to stealing cars, a crime which landed him in the jail. ``Right now, I only want to go back to my family. I will think about my future later ,'' Khan said.

It is a different dilemma for Salim Nanhehasan Pathan (23). He claims the the Mumbai police involved him in a `false case'. ``The police constable lied about me. I got angry and beat him up,'' he said. The metropolitan magistrate, Girgaon, sentenced him to one year RI, remitted by 10 days. The only thing he knows for sure is that he can not join the family business due to this uncertainty.

Suganchand Puranchand Gupta would still be in the Yeravada jail for one more year on charges selling spurious liquor which led to several deaths.

He appealed against his jail superintendent's attempt to include the parole period with the jail term. The amnesty scheme came to his rescue. The government agreed to his release one one condition: He will physically remain in prison on August 15. Gupta readily agreed and stepped out a free man.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.