An inquiry was sought against DIG-Prisons for granting parole and furlough to actor Sanjay Dutt in the year 2013-14, by a petitioner in the Bombay High Court on Monday. The petitioner has alleged that the DIG-Prisons had misused his powers while allowing the actor to visit home on parole and furlough.
"The official has misused Rule 3 (1) of the Bombay Furlough and Parole Rules," advocate Nikhil Chaudhary who has filed the petition, told the division bench of Justices V M Kanade and Revati Mohite-Dere. The rule is about granting furlough to the prisoner, and it states, "A prisoner, who is sentenced to imprisonment for period exceeding one year but not exceeding five years, may be released on furlough for a period of two weeks at a time for every year of actual imprisonment undergone."
Sanjay Dutt surrendered before the court in May 2013 and he was granted furlough in October in the same year, the petition has stated. It said that in December 2013 again, he was given parole to attend to his ailing wife. He received two extensions to the parole thereafter, the petitioner has said further. The said petition was filed in February 2014.
Mr Chaudhary said that Mr Dutt was not entitled to furlough this year as there is not a gap of 365 days between his last furlough and this furlough. This, he said, is contrary to rules.
The court gave Mr Chaudhary one week's time to bring the additional details on record. It also sought to know from the State about the proposed changes to the furlough and parole rules in the State. Maharashtra government had recently announced that it will review the rules in the wake of allegations of misuse.
The prosecution said that it would take instructions from the concerned officials to know about the current discussions of the committee which has been constituted to look into it.
The matter was thereby adjourned for three weeks.