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The inquiry report submitted by Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Prisons into parole granted to convict Sajjad Mughal has indicted the Nashik jail staff, questioning their decision on why they recommended parole in the first place. The report submitted on Tuesday will be soon discussed by the State Home Department for further action.
While DIG (Prisons) Rajendra Dhamane confirmed that he had submitted the report to his seniors, he refused to elaborate on its content. “The officer has submitted the report to his seniors. It is yet to reach the government. We will discuss the report in a day or two and accordingly decide on the action, if any,” Vijay Satbir Singh, Principal Secretary (Home) told The Indian Express.
Mughal, convicted in 2014 by a city sessions court that held him guilty of molesting and murdering a 25-year-old law professional, Pallavi Purkayastha, was granted parole in February this year. He was supposed to report back to Nashik jail on March 26 but failed to do so and instead sought an extension which was rejected by the local divisional commissioner. Subsequently in April, after Mughal failed to return, the Nashik Jail lodged a complaint with local police. The case opens a can of worms in the police-jail machinery.
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After news reports of his disappearance surfaced, the state government ordered a probe into the case. DIG Dhamane was asked to probe if there were any lapses on the part of the Nashik Jail staff in the parole granted to Mughal.
According to sources, the Nashik Jail officials told the inquiring officer that the jail has no powers in granting parole or furlough and the powers for the same rest with the divisional commissioner.
However, they failed to give a satisfactory answer on why they recommended parole for Mughal in the first place.
“When the convict applied for parole citing his mother’s ailing condition, the same was forwarded to police. The local divisional commissioner after receiving an NOC from Uri police station within whose jurisdiction Mughal’s family resides granted parole. The jail staff has no role to play,” the jail official have reportedly told Dhamane in their defence.
The mandate of inquiry was limited and only probed the role of the jail staff and concentrated on any lapses on their part. “The order issued by the divisional commissioner or the NOC granted by the Uri police station and the failure of police to ensure that Mughal reports to the local police station everyday as part of parole requirement was out of the ambit of the probe,” explained the official.
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