Delhi Govt favouring influential convicts: HC

New Delhi, Nov 20: The Delhi High Court on Friday, Nov 20, slammed the government for giving preferential treatment to convicts having high connections.

Justice Kailash Gambhir said that in normal cases the government takes three to six months to decide a parole application of a convict but in case of Manu Sharma it disposed off his plea within 20 days.

"The list (regarding number of parole applications) depicts a dismal picture showing the government is giving least priority to parole applications of convicts. No doubt the Home Department has given selective treatment to some convicts because of their high connections," Justice Gambhir said.

The Court made the observations on a petition filed by Sumeer Singh, a convict in the Connaught Place shooting case, seeking a parole for three months to file an appeal in the Supreme Court against his conviction on the ground that his family members were illiterate.

Sharma, who was released on parole from Tihar jail on Sep 22 on the ground of his mother's illness, was reportedly spotted in a nightclub in a hotel in the city, triggering a controversy. He then returned to the Tihar Jail on his own on Nov 10.

Meanwhile, the state government submitted a draft for new guidelines for parole before the Delhi High Court.

OneIndia News