A jailed former policeman today pleaded before the Delhi High Court to amend the parole and furlough guidelines to benefit over 3,000 convicts languishing in different jails of the national capital.
A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath posted the application to July 30. The plea was filed by former Assistant Commissioner of Delhi Police (ACP) <g data-gr-id="22">Satyavir</g> Singh Rathi, who is serving <g data-gr-id="25">life</g> term in the 1997 Connaught Place shooting case.
The ex-cop, in his application, stated that the convicts were facing a lot of problems and difficulties in availing parole.
"The convicts from time to time have to approach this court for seeking parole. The competent authority for grant of parole (Lt Governor) and furlough (Director General Prison) either rejects the convict's application on flimsy grounds or on the grounds contrary to the law laid down by this court and the Supreme Court," the plea said.
The petitioner's counsel Suraj Rathi also claimed that the 2010 Parole and Furlough Guidelines were "arbitrary, illegal, perverse and capricious."
"The existing/present guidelines suffer from total <g data-gr-id="26">non</g>- application of mind," the plea said, adding that the competent authority "adopts strictly <g data-gr-id="27">hyper technical</g> approach in deciding the parole and furlough applications of convicts, instead of adopting liberal approach".