Mumbai: The Maharashtra government opposed release of Seema Gavit and her sister Renuka Shinde, convicted for the abduction and murder of multiple children, on furlough citing the gravity of their crimes, security concerns, and their history of misconduct in prison.
In an affidavit submitted to the Bombay High Court, Deputy Inspector General of Prisons (Western Region), Swati Sathe, stated, “The possibility cannot be ruled out that the prisoner will pose a life threat to the relatives of the complainant and the witnesses.” The state also pointed out that Gavit has no permanent place of residence and that her behavior inside prison has been violent and disruptive.
The sisters and their mother were sentenced to death in 2001 for kidnapping 13 children and murdering nine of them. Their mother, also an accused in the case, passed away during the appeal process. Due to delays in their execution, the HC commuted their death sentences to life imprisonment in 2022.
However, in April 2023, on State’s appeal, the Supreme Court modified this order, ruling that they must serve “life imprisonment for natural life and without any remission.”
The sisters had applied for furlough in January 2023, seeking a 28-day release. However, the police submitted an adverse report, highlighting security concerns and her lack of a stable guarantor.
The Assistant Commissioner of Police, Yerwada Division, Pune, had stated in the report, “The prisoner should not be released on furlough as she does not have a permanent place of residence, and the possibility of her being a threat to witnesses cannot be ruled out.”
Citing these reports, the Additional Director General of Police and Inspector General of Prisons rejected the appeal on June 5, 2024. The rejection was based on “the seriousness of the crime, adverse police reports, and her continued indiscipline in prison.”
The state’s affidavit also detailed multiple incidents of sisters’ misconduct while in custody. In Gavit’s case, it noted that she had refused to stay in a separate cell, threatened self-harm, damaged jail property, and exhibited violent behavior towards fellow inmates. “In 2019, the petitioner rudely misbehaved and threatened to beat another co-inmate,” the affidavit stated.
Authorities also pointed out that Gavit had refused to follow prison discipline, skipping assigned work. “Granting furlough leave to such a prisoner will be dangerous to society at large,” the state argued.
The state emphasised that releasing Gavit on furlough would contradict the Supreme Court’s April 2023 ruling, which explicitly stated that she must serve her sentence “without the benefit of any remissions.” The Maharashtra Prisons (Mumbai Furlough and Parole) Amendment Rules, 2018, count furlough as part of remission, making her ineligible.
“If the petitioner is released on furlough, it would be in contempt of the Supreme Court’s order,” the state contended.
