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Jago @ Jagdish Shankarbhai Patel v. State of Gujarat

Gujarat HC16 Feb 2021SCR.A/1921/2021

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

In a special criminal application, the High Court of Gujarat at Ahmedabad set aside the rejection of a life convict's furlough leave application, directing the prison authority to reconsider the request based on settled law distinguishing furlough from parole and emphasizing judicial review of administrative discretion.

What did the court decide?

Impugned order quashed; Applicant directed to be granted furlough leave within one month.

Jago @ Jagdish Shankarbhai Patel Vs State of… — Pension and Retirement Benefits | Gujarat HC (2021)

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R/SCR.A/1921/2021 ORDER

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IN THE HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT AT AHMEDABAD

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R/SPECIAL CRIMINAL APPLICATION NO. 1921 of 2021

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======================================================= JAGO @ JAGDISH SHANKARBHAI PATEL

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Versus STATE OF GUJARAT

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=======================================================

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Appearance: MS KD PARMAR(589) for the Applicant(s) No. 1 for the Respondent(s) No. 2,3 MR RONAK RAVAL, APP (2) for the Respondent(s) No. 1

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=======================================================

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CORAM: HONOURABLE DR. JUSTICE A. P. THAKER

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Date : 16/02/2021

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ORAL ORDER

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The present Application has been filed by the applicantconvict through jail to release him on furlough leave. The applicant has been convicted and sentenced for life imprisonment for the offences punishable under Sections 302, 504 and 114 of IPC.

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1.1 It is contended by the applicant that he has preferred application for his furlough leave to the authority however, his request have been rejected by I.G. Prison on 06.01.2021 mainly on the grounds as under:-

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(i) Police opinion is negative;

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(ii) Prisoner is convicted for serious offence;

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(iii) Earlier when he was released on furlough in 2018, he absconded and was arrested by police;

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(iv) There is possibility that the prisoner might commit the offence again.

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Page 1 of 8

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R/SCR.A/1921/2021 ORDER

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Heard Mr. Ronak Raval, learned APP for the respondent State through Video-conferencing.

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Learned APP for the respondent State has submitted that there is Rule 4(6) of the Prisons (Bombay Furlough and Parole) Rules, 1959 (hereinafter referred to as 'Rules') for the forfeiture of the furlough. As per the impugned order, furlough has not been rejected permanently but liberty has been granted to the applicant to apply after 6 months for furlough. He has also submitted that in view of the jail remarks, it appears that the present convict has committed a very serious offence. He has also contended that there is no illegality conducted by the authority by passing the impugned order, which is under challenge. He has prayed to dismiss the application.

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Now it is well settled law by catena of decisions of this Court that Parole and Furlough Rules are part of the penal and prison reform with a view to humanize the prison system. These rules enable the prisoner to obtain his release and to return to the outside world for a short prescribed period. The object of such a release of prisoner are:

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(i) to enable the inmate to maintain continuity with his family life and deal with family matters.

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(ii) to save the inmate from the evil effects of continuous prison life.

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(iii) to enable the inmate to maintain constructive hope and active interests in life.

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Page 2 of 8

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R/SCR.A/1921/2021 ORDER

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In view of the Prisons Act read with Rules, it appears that the Parole and Furlough system has been incorporated with specific object as referred to hereinabove. However, the Parole is not an absolute right of the prisoner. Under the provisions of the Act and the Rules, it can be granted or refused or withdrawn as per rules. At the same time, for furlough leave, there is no need of any ground. But, at the same time for granting Parole Leave, there must be some reason.

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As observed in the case of Bhikabhai Devshi vs. State of Gujarat and Others (supra) , the full bench of this Court has observed in Para-23 as under:

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“23. Rule 1316 of the Bombay Jail Manual provides that no prisoner shall be punished twice for the same offence. Therefore, once a prisoner is punished for his prison offence of late surrender by the Superintendent the matter of prison offence will rest there and any other punishment thereafter for the same Act or misconduct is barred” .

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6.1 In Para-27 and 28 of the said judgment, the full bench has observed as under:

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“The rationale and principle behind Rule 4 is clear. The furlough system has been introduced as a measure of

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Page 3 of 8

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R/SCR.A/1921/2021 ORDER

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penal reform and to harmonise the penal system and to enable the prisoner to maintain continuity with his family life and to deal with the family matters and to save him from evil effects of continuous jail life and to enable him to gain confidence and to maintain constructive hopes and active interest in life. ......It is not possible to hold that irrespective of all these circumstances such a prisoner surrendering late have to be examined on merits and the prison authority will have to power duty and discretion to consider and to grant or refuse furlough.

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6.2 At the same time, In Para-29 of the said judgment, the full bench has observed as under:

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“However, in cases of late surrender where there is no element of escapte but merely there is a delay in surrendering the question will have to be examined on the facts and circumstances and merits of each case. In given case of a prisoner defaulting in timely surrender who is wanted by the jail authorities and who is not available at the place where ordinarily he should be and who is apprehended by the Police or who surrenders because of the chase by the authority may fall under the first part where he cannot be trusted to be released on furlough again. But such cases are at the other extreme”.

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6.3 In Para-34 and 35 of the aforesaid judgment, the full bench has also observed as under:

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Page 4 of 8

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R/SCR.A/1921/2021 ORDER

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“34. It is to be noted that furlough and parole have two different purposes. Furlough is a matter of right, parole is not so. Furlough is to be granted periodically under Rule 3 irrespective of any particular reason merely with a view to enable the prisoner to have family and social ties and to avoid ill-effects of continuous prison life and the period of furlough is treated as remission of sentence. Since furlough is to bge grantd for no particular reason, it can be denied in the interest of the Society; whereas parole is to be granted only on a sufficient cause (Rule-19) such as cases of severe ilness or death of any member of the prisoners family or his nearest relative or for other sufficient cause. Therefore, Parole is not a matter of right and only when there is a sufficient and serious cause the Society and the Jail authority may sometime have to take some risk to release the prisoner on parole but that would be no ground for releasing the prisoner on routine furlough irrespective of his past conduct and performance. Even parole may be denied to a prisoner even when he makes out sufficient cause for release on parole if the competent authroity is satisfied on vaild grounds that release of a prisoner on parole will be against the interest of the society or the prison administration”.

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“35. The prison authorities cannot reject as ineligible the request of due furlough of the prisoners who have surrendered late in past” .

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Page 5 of 8

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R/SCR.A/1921/2021 ORDER

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It is pertinent to note that Rule 3 of the The Prisons (Bombay Furlough and Parole) Rules, 1989 provides for the provisions as to when prisoner may be granted furlough. The said Rule 3 reads thus:

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“3. When Prisoner may be granted furlough.-

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(1) A Prisoner, who is sentenced to imprisonment for a period exceeding one year but not exceeding five years, may be released on furlough for a period of two weeks at a time for every year of actual imprisonment undergone.

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(2) A Prisoner, who is sentenced to imprisonment for a period exceeding five years may be released on furlough for a periodof two weeks at a time for every two years of actual imprisonment undergone:

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Provided that a prisoner sentenced to imprisonment for more than five years but not to imprisonment for life may be released on furlough every year instead of every two years during the last five years of his unexpired period of sentence:

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Provided further that a prisoner sentenced to life imprisonment may be released on furlough every year instead of every two years after he completes seven years actual imprisonment.”

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Note 1:The period of imprisonment in this rule includes the sentence or sentences awarded in lieu of fine in case the amount of fine is not paid. Provided that if fine is paid during the period of

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Page 6 of 8

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R/SCR.A/1921/2021 ORDER

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imprisonment and the total sentence thereby reduced to a term not exceeding 5 years he shall thereafter be eligible for release every year in accordance with sub-rule (1) instead of every two years under sub-rule (2).

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Note 2.-For the purposes of this rule, the period of imprisonment shall be computed as the total period for which a prisoner is sentenced even though one or more sentences be concurrent.

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Note 3.- If at any time a prisoner who could have been granted furlough is either not granted or is refused the same the period for which he could have been granted the furlough shall not be carried forward but shall lapse.

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Note 4.-The period of two weeks may be initially extended up to three weeks in the case of prisoners desiring to spend the furlough outside the State of Bombay.

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Note 5.- An order sanctioning the release of a prisoner on furlough shall cease to be valid if not given effect to within a period of two months of the date thereof.

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On the analysis of the aforesaid provisions of Rule 3, it is clearly found from the Note-3 thereof makes provisions that if at any time a prisoner who could have been granted furlough is either not granted or is refused, the same the period for which he could have been granted the furlough shall not be

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Page 7 of 8

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R/SCR.A/1921/2021 ORDER

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carried forward but shall lapse. Now in the present case, this is not the ground of rejection of the application of Furlough. The jail authority has simply rejected his prayer on the grounds which has been reproduced hereinabove. Now, in view of the decision of the full bench referred to hereinabove, Authority ought to have taken into consideration the other facts available on record.

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In view of the aforesaid observation, the impugned order passed by the competent authority is required to be quashed and set-aside and the authority needs to re-consider the request of the applicant for granting him Furlough Leave.

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For the reasons above, the Application succeeds. Rule is made absolute by quashing and setting aside the refusal of furlough due to the applicant prisoner by directing the respondent authority to consider the grant of furlough/ furloughs due to the applicant in accordance with law within a period of one month from today.

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(DR. A. P. THAKER, J)

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R.S. MALEK

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Page 8 of 8

Jago @ Jagdish Shankarbhai Patel v. State of Gujarat

Case brief

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Jago @ Jagdish Shankarbhai Patel v. State of Gujarat

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