Over 100 rape, murder convicts out on loose from Haryana jails
After availing facility of parole or furlough, 190 criminals convicted of heinous crimes did not return to state jails since 1988.
Around 190 criminals convicted of heinous crimes are currently out on loose from Haryana jails after availing the facility of parole or furlough at different times since 1988.
Of these, more than 100 absconders are convicts in rape and murder cases, posing a serious security threat to the residents of the state. These revelations have been made by the prisons department under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
As per information given, 40 parole jumpers are currently absconding from Ambala central jail. These include 22 murderers, five rapists and six drug peddlers.
One of the murder convicts is a woman who has been absconding from over a decade.
From Rohtak district jail, 25 out of 33 absconding convicts are murderers. One is a convict in a rape case while two are convicted of murder with rape.
Under the Haryana Good Conduct Prisoners (Temporary Release) Act, 1988 the state government can release a prisoner on parole or furlough if a member of his family has died or is seriously ill, for marriage of his close relative, for his requirement in house construction or agricultural activity or for any other sufficient cause. The parole is usually granted for two to six weeks.
Haryana is among the few states which are liberal in granting parole to the prisoners.
As per National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data of 2015, 4,267 prisoners were released on parole and furlough, of which 61 did not return to jail.
The police could only re-arrest 24 absconders. In 2014, 3,836 inmates were released on parole of which 48 ran away. Fourteen of them could not be re-arrested by police.
Past examples show the state has been irresponsible in granting parole to convicts.
Bhiwani resident Shashi Pratap, a murder convict, has been able to jump parole thrice in the past 12 years, even as rules say habitual offenders should not be allowed release.
Narnaul jail superintendent Deepak Sharma said the divisional commissioner sanctions the parole of an inmate after taking recommendations from police.
“To ensure he does not run away, the local police are informed and bonds of around Rs 2 lakh are filled. An FIR is filed by the jails department with police if he does not return on the scheduled date,” he said.
Data given by the department in the RTI shows the police have even failed to forfeit the surety of parole jumpers in over 50% cases so far.