The Delhi High Court has summoned the State Home Secretary over repeated delays in granting parole, criticizing officials for disregarding the law and prisoners’ mental and physical well-being, highlighting the urgent need for streamlined parole processes.
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NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has taken a strong view of repeated delays by jail authorities in deciding parole applications, summoning the Principal Secretary (Home), NCT of Delhi, to explain the inordinate delays and suggest measures to streamline the process.
The directive came in the case where the petitioner, a murder convict, had applied for parole in July 2025 due to his father’s deteriorating health and the mental distress caused by prolonged incarceration. Despite the statutory timelines under the Delhi Prison Rules, 2018, Lalit’s application remained pending for over two months.
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Justice Neena Bansal Krishna, expressing strong displeasure, noted that such delays are not isolated incidents. She emphasized that the rules are often violated with impunity, showing a lack of sensitivity towards prisoners, many of whom suffer from long-term incarceration.
“It is not realized that non-grant of Parole/Furlough within the fixed time frame only results in unrest and defeats the very purpose of Parole/Furlough, which is to enable them to establish family ties and to not fall into depression and stress because of long incarceration,”
the Court observed.
The Bench highlighted that multiple Court orders directing state agencies to act responsibly have failed to yield results. Officials, according to the Court, often demonstrate “defiance to the very objective of introducing provisions of furlough/parole” and show little regard for prisoners’ mental and physical well-being. Such neglect, the Court warned, could even lead to indiscipline within jails.
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Given the repeated lapses, the Court summoned the Home Secretary to appear in person on November 6, 2025, requiring an explanation and actionable suggestions on how to prevent such delays in the future.
Meanwhile, the Court granted Lalit a four-week parole, acknowledging the urgency and hardship caused by prolonged bureaucratic delays.
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Appearance:
For the petitioner: Advocates Vrinda Bhandari and Pragya Barsaiyan
For the State: Additional Standing Counsel (ASC) Rupali Bandhopadhya along with advocates Abhijeet Kumar and Amisha Gupta
Case Title:
Lalit @ Lucky v State of NCT of Delhi
W.P.(CRL) 3177/2025
Read Order: