No parole for rapists, murderers in Maharashtra

Convicts serving jail sentence for rape, rape and murder and dacoity in Maharashtra will not be eligible for "regular" parole, as per the amendments to the prison rules made in the backdrop of a convict jumping parole in a sensational murder case in Mumbai.

Convicts serving sentence for rape, rape and murder, smuggling of narcotic or psychotropic substances and dacoity will not be eligible for "regular" parole, the amendments notified in the prison's manual by the state government said.

Additional DG (Prisons) B K Upadhyay today said that the notification has been issued making amendments to the Maharashtra Prisons Rules, 1959.

The changes in the parole and furlough rules come in the wake of the flak drawn by the Home Department after Sajjad Mogul, serving life sentence at Nashik Central Jail in the murder case of Mumbai-based lawyer Pallavi Purkayastha, jumped parole earlier this year and has remained untraced since then.

According to the amended rules, a person whose appeal of conviction in a higher court or any other cases filed against him either by central or state governments in any of the courts are pending and for which bail has not been granted by the related courts, will not be eligible for furlough.

A convict who does not have sound mental health as per his medical report, too will not be eligible for the leave.

Furlough will also be not granted to convicts sentenced for offences like dacoity, terrorist crimes, mutiny against the state, kidnapping for ranson, smuggling of narcotic or psychotropic substances, rape, rape with murder and also those sentenced to life imprisonment till death.

Convicts, however, will be eligible for "emergency" parole, which will be granted in the event of death of close relatives like grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, spouse, son, daughter, brother or sister.

It will also be applicable in case of serious illness of father, mother, spouse, son or daughter and marriage of son, daughter, brother or sister.

Furlough is leave from prison to which a convict is entitled to. Parole, on other hand, is leave given by prison authorities based on their discretion.