A minor case of assault on a fellow convict in jail against British national Peter Bleach would be withdrawn to expedite his release as President A P J Abdul Kalam has already remitted the remaining part of his life sentence in the Purulia armsdrop case, West Bengal Home Secretary Amit Kiran Deb said on Sunday.

It was, however, not clear how long the process of Bleach's release could take with another case pending against him in Mumbai.

Deb told PTI that the minor case of assault on fellow convict Kamal Routh in Presidency Jail in Kolkata about a year back against Bleach would be withdrawn. He had since been transferred to Alipore Central Jail.

Bleach's release order from the justice department of the Union home ministry reached the state home secretary on Friday.

Deb said the issue of the other cases pending against Bleach had already been referred to the Union home ministry.

The President remitted the remaining part of the sentence of Bleach under Article 7 (1) (b) of the Constitution.

The British national had been sentenced to life imprisonment by a sessions court for conspiring to wage war against India in the 1995 Purulia armsdrop case, the home secretary said.

While five Lativans, who had been convicted in the same case, were released in July, 2000, following a presidential remission, Bleach continued to remain behind the bars.