HC pulls up Govt. on pending parole petitions

SERVING TOO MUCH TIME: Security personnel outside the Delhi High court. The government failed to process parole applications by Tihar Central Jail inmates within the stipulated time, inviting the ire of the High Court. File photo

The Delhi High Court pulled up the Government on Tuesday for not processing parole applications by Tihar Central Jail inmates here within the stipulated time period fixed by it and summoned the State Home Secretary to explain the delay.

Justice Kailash Gambhir summoned the Home Secretary while hearing a petition by a former Delhi Police head constable seeking parole for three months for filing a Special Leave Petition in the Supreme Court against his conviction in the Connaught Place shoot-out case this year.

Delay alleged

The petitioner, Sumer Singh, is serving life term in the case. The High Court, in September, had upheld the lower court judgment sentencing all 10 Delhi Police personnel to life imprisonment.

The petitioner’s application has been pending with the Home Department for more than two months.

Petitioner’s submission

The petitioner submitted that no member of his family is competent enough to file the SLP as his father is illiterate, one of his two sons is studying in Class XII while the other is in first year of graduation course and his wife a housewife.

The petitioner filed the application in the Home Department on September 30 but the authorities have so far taken no decision on it.

“Let the Secretary (Home) Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi remain present in the Court on November 20 to apprise it as to why such unusual delay takes place in parole matters,” Justice Gambhir said.

“Already this Court has given directions that the parole applications moved by the convicts be given due priority and the same be decided within a period of 10 days and it appears the directions given by this Court are being implemented more in violation than in compliance,” he added.

The Court also asked the Home Secretary for the number of applications for parole pending with the Home Department as well as the date of receipt of those applications.

“Let a complete chart giving details of receipt of such applications and their date-wise disposal be filed before this Court commencing from January 1, 2009,” Justice Gambhir ordered.