Nagpur: The Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court has rejected a plea by murder convict Ganesh Shahu, who sought an extension of his parole to attend a Satyanarayan Puja at his residence. Shahu, serving a life sentence in the Kamble double murder case, had already availed a 15-day parole for his brother’s wedding.
A division bench comprising Justice Avinash Gharote and Justice Abhay Mantri ruled that parole cannot be extended beyond the stipulated period unless it falls under exceptional circumstances prescribed in prison regulations.
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Tuesday 28 Jan. 2025
“The petitioner had already been granted parole for his brother’s wedding. Seeking an extension for a religious function does not qualify as a valid reason,” the bench observed while dismissing his plea.
Shahu, who was granted parole on January 11, 2025, for brother’s wedding, later requested an extension, citing the puja scheduled for February 9. However, the Deputy Director General (Eastern Division) of the Prison Department denied the request, leading him to approach the High Court with the help of a legal aid counsel.
The court emphasized that under Rule 13(i) of the parole regulations, parole is granted strictly for defined circumstances such as medical emergencies or essential family events. The judges ruled that granting parole extensions for religious ceremonies could set a precedent for misuse of the system.
Reaffirming that parole is a privilege, not a right, the court upheld the prison authorities’ decision and dismissed Shahu’s petition.
