Colombo: As part of the SAARC Prisoners Exchange Agreement, Sri Lanka will hand over two Indian prisoners to India on Wednesday and Thursday, who are serving life sentences in the island nation, a senior prison official said here.
Jail spokesperson Chandana Eknayke told PTI that the Additional Secretary, Ministry of Justice has informed the jail commissioner about the release of two Indian nationals.
“They will be handed over to Indian police officers today (Wednesday) and tomorrow (Thursday) at Colombo International Airport,” he said without identifying the two Indians to protect their privacy.
Eknayake said one of the convicts, who is serving a life sentence, has been in jail for over 12 years for possession and import of narcotics and has been charged under the Poison, Opium and Dangerous Drugs (Amendment) Act. .
The second, accused under the Dangerous Drugs Act, is serving a sentence in the jail here for the last 6 years.
The India-Sri Lanka Bilateral Agreement on Transfer of Sentenced Persons was signed in June 2010, paving the way for the transfer of prisoners to prisons in their home country.
The Agreement provides for the conditions under which such transfers may take place and the various obligations of the transferring State and the receiving State.
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