No parole for rapists, murderers in Maharashtra

Mumbai, Aug 31 (PTI) Convicts serving jail sentence forrape, rape and murder and dacoity in Maharashtra will not beeligible for "regular" parole, as per the amendments to theprison rules made in the backdrop of a convict jumping parolein a sensational murder case in Mumbai. Convicts serving sentence for rape, rape and murder,smuggling of narcotic or psychotropic substances and dacoitywill not be eligible for "regular" parole, the amendmentsnotified in the prison’s manual by the state government said. Additional DG (Prisons) B K Upadhyay today said that thenotification has been issued making amendments to theMaharashtra Prisons Rules, 1959. The changes in the parole and furlough rules come in thewake of the flak drawn by the Home Department after SajjadMogul, serving life sentence at Nashik Central Jail in themurder case of Mumbai-based lawyer Pallavi Purkayastha, jumpedparole earlier this year and has remained untraced since then. According to the amended rules, a person whose appeal ofconviction in a higher court or any other cases filed againsthim either by central or state governments in any of thecourts are pending and for which bail has not been granted bythe related courts, will not be eligible for furlough. A convict who does not have sound mental health as perhis medical report, too will not be eligible for the leave. Furlough will also be not granted to convicts sentencedfor offences like dacoity, terrorist crimes, mutiny againstthe state, kidnapping for ranson, smuggling of narcotic orpsychotropic substances, rape, rape with murder and also thosesentenced to life imprisonment till death. Convicts, however, will be eligible for "emergency"parole, which will be granted in the event of death of closerelatives like grandfather, grandmother, father, mother,spouse, son, daughter, brother or sister. It will also be applicable in case of serious illness offather, mother, spouse, son or daughter and marriage of son,daughter, brother or sister. Furlough is leave from prison to which a convict isentitled to. Parole, on other hand, is leave given by prisonauthorities based on their discretion. PTI MM GK RSY NMSC