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Saturday, Nov 08, 2008
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Government revises parole norms

R.K. Radhakrishnan and S. Vijay Kumar

Chief Minister to decide on the requests
Allegations of misuse of
ordinary leave

CHENNAI: The State government has revised the parole norms for convicts.

The Chief Minister will now decide on the proposals for grant of parole based on the recommendations of the Director-General of Prisons. The requests from the DG Prisons will be routed to the Chief Minister through the Law Minister.

According to Prison Department sources, an inmate serving a life sentence is eligible for release on parole under two categories – emergency and ordinary – on completion of three years of the sentence.

While emergency leave of 15 days is granted for a maximum of four spells a year at the discretion of the Prison Superintendent, ordinary leave of 30 days, that can be extended, is ordered by the Government. The grounds for such release could be settling family disputes, agricultural operation, admission of children to school/college, construction or repair of house or any other extraordinary reason. Following allegations of misuse of ordinary leave in the case of a narcotics offender, the Government has taken a decision to revise the norms with regard to grant of ordinary leave.

In each case, where the government has to take a decision, it was noted that the Minister in charge is not supplied with information of the previous parole releases of the convict. Hence, when an application is given to the Minister, he goes by the information supplied by his personal staff.

Even in these cases, it is argued that if the Minister had merely restricted himself to directing the department to “take appropriate action” on a parole request, the department would have processed it based on records. But officials connected with the department say that this has not been the case so far: the Minister invariably grants 30 days parole to most applicants with scant verification of past records.

Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi was appalled by the manner in which paroles had been granted, one source said and pulled up the Minister and the department for not looking into the issue earlier.

Prisoners classified as ‘habitual offenders,’ convicted in dacoity or robbery cases, considered dangerous or prejudicial to public peace and tranquillity and those involved in prison offences such as riot, assault, outbreak, escape and strike etc are not entitled for ordinary leave. However, under Section 40 of the Tamil Nadu Prison Manual, the Government has powers to exempt any person from these conditions and order his release.

Since the revised norms will be implemented with immediate effect, the Prison Department has ordered that the cases of those granted ordinary leave and awaiting release be kept pending for review, the sources added.

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