Abhaya homicide case: No parole for all times convicts, says authorized physique

By Express News Service
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a reply despatched to Abhaya Case Action Council convener Jomon Puthenpurackal, the Kerala State Legal Services Authority (KELSA) has acknowledged that the high-powered committee had by no means really useful the 90-day particular parole granted to Abhaya homicide case life convicts — Father Thomas Kottoor and Sister Sephy, who have been lodged on the Poojapura Central Jail and Attakulangara Women’s Prison respectively.

Earlier, the prisons division had mentioned that it granted parole primarily based on the advice of the high-powered committee constituted by the Supreme Court.

The letter was despatched to Jomon after he wrote to KELSA govt chairman and High Court Judge C T Ravikumar. KELSA mentioned within the letter that it had by no means really useful the parole launch of life convicts.

The prisons division launched over 1,500 prisoners, together with the 2 life convicts, as a part of its efforts to decongest prisons within the wake of the second wave of Covid.

Earlier, DGP (prisons) Rishiraj Singh had additionally talked about in a reply to Jomon that he had granted particular parole primarily based on the path of the high-powered committee and contemplating the age of the convicts. 

The parole for the 2 homicide convicts, sentenced to double life rigorous imprisonment and rigorous life imprisonment respectively, was granted on May 11, 2021.

The committee had solely recognized a category of prisoners, bearing in mind the gravity of offences, for launch to decongest prisons due to Covid unfold.

KELSA clarified within the letter that the high-powered committee had solely really useful the discharge of prisoners concerned in offences punishable as much as 10 years, that too with sure exemptions.

“It has been proved that the state government had illegally granted parole to the convicts in the Abhaya case before completing five months in jail after the court sentenced them to life imprisonment,” Jomon mentioned in an announcement.

He additionally identified that the bail petitions filed by Fr Thomas Kottur and Sr Sephy within the High Court have been adjourned, with out granting bail, by a division bench headed by Justice Ok Vinod Chandran 5 occasions up to now seven months. 

“It has been alleged that even the general rule that the ‘government should not grant parole if there is a petition in any court’ in order for the accused to be granted bail was not considered when the government granted parole to the accused in the asylum case. It has been alleged that the state government has not even considered the general norm that ‘the government should not grant parole if there is a petition in any court’ if the accused or convicted move the court seeking bail,” Jomon’s assertion mentioned.

Meanwhile, S Santosh, DIG (prisons), advised TNIE that the prisons division had granted bail to many life convicts and it had not proven any favouritism in direction of Abhaya case convicts. 

He additionally made it clear that the division has solely adopted the rules of the High Court and the state authorities issued final 12 months.

“During the second wave, we have followed the guidelines issued last year that prisoners, including any male convict aged above 60 male and female above 50 are eligible for the 90-day parole. It was implemented based on the instructions of the Supreme Court that we could follow the same norms this year too,” Santosh mentioned.