With reference to the Supreme Court’s order dated back to 7th May, 2021, the high-powered committee (Uttarakhand & Haryana) on 11th of May (Tuesday) granted 90 days of parole to the inmates who were granted parole earlier before.
It is essential to be aware of the fact that during the last week, Supreme court directed the high-powered committee of all the states to release every inmate who had been released on the account of the SC’s order dated to 23rd of March,2020, with appropriate conditions.
Uttarakhand HPC
In accordance with the order passed on 23rd May 2020, the chief justice of HC of Uttarakhand/ Patron-in-chief, Uttarakhand State Legal Services Authority had constituted a High-Powered Committee consisting of the following:
- Hon’ble Executive Chairman of State Legal Services Authority as Chairman;
- The Principal Secretary (home/prison) as member; and
- Director General of prison
This high-powered committee is in existence to determine the class of prisoners who are eligible to be released on parole or interim bail.
Further, keeping in check with the order released on May 7th by the SC, the committee issued the following directions:
- Secretary, Department of home, Government of Uttarakhand, Inspector General (prisons), Government of Uttarakhand, Dehradun, all the Chairpersons, DLSA’s, District Courts of the Uttarakhand are hereby directed that, those inmates who were granted parole, pursuant to the earlier orders of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, should be again granted parole for 90 days in order to curb the pandemic.
- The policemen are requested to make arrangements for the transfer of such inmates/prisoners.
- The Chief medical officer of the concerned district shall compulsorily conduct a thorough health checkup.
- All the legal services authorities of the district are directed to send a consolidated progress report to the authority.
- All the decisions made are to be published on respective State Legal Service Authorities.
Haryana HPC
A high-powered committee (HPC) has allowed special parole to the convicts sentenced to imprisonment for more than seven years and who were released during this pandemic.
HPC is under the leadership of Justice Rajan Gupta, Judge, Punjab and Haryana High Court, and executive chairman of SLSA, has allowed the action.
Keeping in mind the urgent situation in amidst of a pandemic, the HPC directed,
“All the convicts sentenced to imprisonment for more than 7 years who were released on special parole under the categories prescribed by this committee be released by competent authorities again on special parole until 31.08.2021 on the same set of sureties so consent for the same and without holding a fresh inquiry.”
