The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) has set up an enquiry into parole and remission policies in the country after the recent release of the Dera Sacha Sauda chief and rape convicts in the 2002 Bilkis Bano gang-rape case.
DCW Chief Swati Maliwal has condemned the relief granted to Bilkis Bano case convicts and Gurmeet Ram Rahim as 'deeply disturbing' and has stated that existing rules and policies vis-a-vis remission, parole and even furlough in the country are extremely weak.
The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) has set up an enquiry into parole and remission policies in the country after the recent release of the Dera Sacha Sauda chief and rape convicts in the 2002 Bilkis Bano gang-rape case.
Set up by DCW chief Swati Maliwal, the panel will study the relevant policies of different states under which remission and parole are granted to convicts.
It has issued notices to the Delhi government and Tihar jail seeking information regarding these policies for convicts of heinous crimes and their implementation in the national capital.
The commission will also submit a report to the Delhi government as well as the Central government.
"The commission has set up this enquiry in light of recent cases," DCW said in a statement, adding, "For instance, Bilkis Bano was gang raped in 2002 and her three-year-old son and seven other family members were killed."
"Despite the court according the 11 convicts life imprisonment, they were let off on August 15 this year by the Gujarat government citing the 1992 remission policy that allowed prisoners to apply for reduction of their sentence," it said.
"Recently the government of Haryana released Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim on parole who has been convicted of rapes and murders and is serving a life sentence in a jail in Rohtak," it said.
Maliwal has termed these incidents "deeply disturbing" and has stated that existing rules and policies vis-a-vis remission, parole and even furlough in the country are extremely weak and can be easily misused by politicians and convicts for their own benefit.
In the notice sent to the home department, the panel has sought details of convicts who have been granted remission since 2012 and were serving a life term for rape, gang-rape, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) and rape with murder.
The commission has also sought copies of minutes of meetings of the sentence review board since 2012 along with copies of opinions submitted by various departments on whether to release a convict or not.
In the notice sent to Tihar Jail, the commission has sought the details of the policy for the release of convicts for parole and furlough.
DCW has also sought details of convicts of heinous crimes who have been granted parole and furlough since 2018 along with details of convicts who have overstayed their legal time.
It has asked the home department and Tihar jail to provide the requisite information by November 21.
(With inputs from PTI)