DELHI HC REPRIMAND THE DELHI GOVERNMENT

DELHI HC REPRIMAND THE DELHI GOVERNMENT

14-OCT-ENG 2

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

DELHI---------------------------The Delhi High Court reprimanded the Delhi government, expressing displeasure over the delay in granting parole to prisoners convicted of murder.

The Delhi High Court expressed displeasure with Delhi government officials for the prolonged delay in deciding the parole petition of a prisoner convicted of murder. The High Court stated that the officials were insensitive to prisoners serving long sentences and were ignoring regulations. The court warned officials that it was imperative to follow the legal process and not delay parole petitions.

The High Court bench headed by Justice Neena Bansal Krishna stated that not granting parole or furlough within the stipulated timeframe led to discontent and unrest among prisoners, potentially disrupting prison discipline. The court also underlined that the purpose of parole was to help prisoners connect with their families, maintain social relationships, and alleviate the mental stress caused by long imprisonment. The High Court warned officials that it was imperative to follow the legal process and not unnecessarily delay parole petitions.

The High Court noted that similar instructions had been issued in the past, but no improvement had been made. In light of this serious situation, the court directed the Delhi government's Principal Secretary, Home, to appear in person on November 6th. The court warned officials that it was imperative to follow the legal process and not to unnecessarily delay parole petitions.

The case concerned a prisoner who had applied for a one-month parole on July 22nd to meet his family and relieve mental stress. However, even after more than a month had passed, the authorities had not taken any decision.

The court ordered the prisoner to be granted four weeks' parole on a personal bond of ₹35,000. The court also directed that the prisoner report to the relevant police station every Sunday and return to jail on time upon the expiry of his parole.