In a rare Sunday hearing, Justice Sanjeev Narula of the Delhi High Court held a virtual court to urgently hear the plea of convict Tasleem, granting him four-week parole following the sudden death of his sister earlier that day.
Justice Sanjeev Narula of the Delhi High Court conducted a special session on Sunday, granting a four-week parole to Tasleem, a convict in a gang-rape case, following the death of his sister earlier that day.
The parole request was presented to Justice Narula’s Court Master around 10 AM, and by approximately 12:30 PM, Justice Narula held a virtual court session.
Tasleem’s attorney, Sarthak Maggon, along with a Delhi Police Sub-Inspector and the state’s representative, participated in the proceedings online.
After reviewing the application and circumstances, the Court ordered the immediate release of 55-year-old Tasleem. His sister, aged 60, had been suffering from complications related to post-tuberculosis and required long-term oxygen therapy. She had been moved to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) on November 6.
On November 7, the Court had granted Tasleem a one-day custody parole, allowing him to visit his ailing sister on November 8 between 10 AM and 5 PM.
Tasleem was convicted for the gang-rape of a woman in 1997 and received a life sentence in 1999. His appeals against the conviction were dismissed by the High Court in 2015 and by the Supreme Court two years later.
A life sentence means imprisonment for the remainder of a person’s natural life. In India, it is awarded for serious crimes like murder, terrorism, or rape. Although many people believe that a life sentence lasts only 14 years, the Supreme Court has clarified that it actually means jail for the entire life of the convict, unless the government grants remission or commutes the sentence under Sections 432 and 433 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
In some cases, courts also specify a fixed term, such as life imprisonment for 25 or 30 years without remission, depending on the gravity of the offence.
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It’s worth noting that while addressing the same case, the High Court criticized the Sentence Review Board (SRB) for the “superficial and perfunctory manner in which the matter is being handled.”
The Court stated,
“This Court has, over the past months, been dealing with numerous petitions concerning premature release, and in each such matter, meaningful adjudication depends upon the existence of a uniform and rational procedure consistent with the directions issued in Santosh Kumar Singh,”
It has also ordered the Delhi Government’s Home Secretary and the Director General of Prisons to appear before the Court on November 24.
Case Title: Tasleem v State of NCT of Delhi