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HC Rules: Parole Should Be Affordable for All
9 Jan
Summary
- Parole bond conditions must consider a prisoner's financial status.
- Poverty should not prevent a prisoner from being granted parole.
- Six statewide guidelines were issued for future parole cases.
The Rajasthan High Court has mandated that parole bond conditions must be determined with consideration for a prisoner's financial capacity, asserting that poverty is not an offense. The court found the current practice of rigid surety requirements for indigent prisoners to be unacceptable.
A division bench issued six new statewide guidelines for parole cases, emphasizing the need for discretion to be exercised humanely and rationally. These guidelines aim to prevent systemic indifference towards prisoners unable to afford financial sureties.
The ruling came in response to a life convict's plea who was granted parole but faced insurmountable surety demands. The court highlighted that parole is a reformative right, not a tool for discrimination between the rich and the poor.
