Parole/Furlough facilities are being extended to all prisoners without any discrimination: Delhi Govt tells High Court
Delhi Government has told the High Court that prisoners are being treated equally in jails in the national capital and parole or furlough has been extended to them without any discrimination.
;The Delhi High Court while closing proceedings in a suo moto case initiated in 2015 on the issue of preferential treatment given to certain prisoners in jails recently observed that no further directions were necessary.
The Delhi Government had filed a status report in which it was stated that there is no discrimination among the prisoners on the basis of gender, caste, creed, religion, social status, financial status, educational status or nationality, etc.
The division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad observed that on perusal of the Status Report filed by the Delhi Government, it appeared that all the prisoners are being treated equally.
The status report was filed in response to the cognizance taken up by the court of two articles published in Hindustan Times titled “Loners, ‘Gandhi’, fusspots: VIPs spice up jails” and “Inside the world of celebrity prisoners”. In the status report filed, it was stated that the prisoners were being provided with adequate bedding and that inmates undergoing medical treatment were being provided with wooden beds on the recommendation of the medical officer.
“That it is submitted that sentence is implemented strictly as per Delhi Prison Rules/Orders/Circulars. It is ensured that hard labour Is allotted to every convict undergoing rigorous imprisonment irrespective of any discrimination,” the status report read.
It was also stated that the parole/furlough facilities were also being extended without any discrimination of gender. Similar to establishment of a semi-open jail for male prisoners, the department is already in the process to establish semi open jail for female/women prisoners which would provide a free environment to live and work before their permanent release.
“Further, labour is not allotted to the High Security / Dangerous prisoners and their lodging is rotated from one jail to another after an interval of every three to four months. Further, it is assured that labour to be allotted will also be proportionate to the severity of crime for which the convicts are convicted/ sentenced,” the report stated.
Taking note of the status report, the court disposed of the matter observing that no further orders were required to be passed. The court also appreciated the efforts of Senior Advocate Dayan Krishnan.
“In light of the aforesaid, this Court is of the opinion that no further directions are necessary in the instant Writ Petition,” the court observed.
Case Title: Court On Its Own Motion vs. Central Government Through Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs & Ors.