The Karnataka High Court on Friday directed the Home Department to submit a report giving details of the cases in which convicts have been absconding after they were released on parole from prisons across the State.
A Division Bench comprising Justice K. Bhakthavatsala and Justice K.N. Keshavanarayana issued the directions in the presence of top officials, including V. Gagandeep, Additional Director-General of Police and Inspector-General of (Prisons); Raghavendra H. Auradkar, Bangalore City Police Commissioner; A.G. Bhat, Additional Secretary (Home); and Vishwanath Iyer, Superintendent of Bangalore Central Prison.
The Bench made it clear that it had asked the top officials to be present in the court only due to the seriousness of an incident, in which a convict, Thejus, in a murder case, failed to return to jail after being released on parole two years ago. The authorities were directed to submit entire records related to the release of Thejus on parole, and actions initiated to trace him. Authorities were told to produce the rules and regulations pertaining to release of convicts on parole. State Public Prosecutor-II B.T. Venkatesh told the Bench that a criminal case has been filed against Thejus for violating parole conditions.
The incident came to light after the High Court noticed that no advocate was representing Thejus in an appeal, filed by all convicts in the murder case, and that he could not be produced before court, though a warrant had been issued.
