Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh): MP high court has sought reply from state government in indiscriminate release of prisoners including convicts of child molestation case on parole during the pandemic to decongest prisons.
The court during hearing on Thursday issued notices to respondents and appointed advocate Sankalp Kochhar as amicus curie to guide the court in this matter.
The division bench led by Chief Justice Mohammad Rafiq and Justice Vijay Shukla while hearing the PIL of Citizen Consumer Guidance taken a serious view on the issues raised in the matter.
Council for petitioner, Surendra Verma submitted that the release of convicts serving sentences for child sex offenses behind bars may commit crime again, referring the crimes committed by criminals released from jails in Morena and Rajasthan. Though the government had decided to release serious criminals detained in jails and those convicted of sexual offenses against children on parole.
The Supreme Court had directed the state governments to make clear rules regarding the release of such criminals by forming a high-level committee. State government has made the high-level committee but has not made any rules for the committee, Verma added.
During the hearing, it has been said on behalf of the government that the government is also seriously contemplating to make rules regarding grant of parole to criminals detained in jails.
Many points have also been raised in the petition regarding prison reform. It has also demanded in the petition that in view of the increasing number of prisoners in jails, separate prisons should be arranged for women.
