Madras HC dismisses plea seeking 'A' class facility to life convict S Yuvaraj in prison

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court dismissed the petition moved by the wife of S Yuvaraj, the president of Dheeran Chinnamalai Peravai, a caste based outfit seeking A class facility to her husband who is confined in Coimbatore central prison.

A division bench of Justice SM Subramaniam and Justice V Sivagnanam heard the petition moved by Suvitha, wife of Yuvaraj, who is currently in Coimbatore Central Prison serving a life sentence for beheading a Dalit engineering graduate V Gokulraj.

The counsel for the petitioner submitted that her client is withdrawing the petition.

Recording that the bench dismissed the petition as withdrawn.

On June 2, last year, the High Court upheld a trial court order, convicting and sentencing life imprisonment for Yuvaraj and seven others in the sensational case of beheading a Dalit youth, Gokulraj in 2015.

Later, Yuvaraj was confined in the Coimbatore central prison.

Subsequently, the wife of Yuvaraj moved the High Court seeking to direct the superintendent of prisons, Coimbatore central prison, to grant ‘A’ class facility to her husband.

The Tamil Nadu government submitted that the life convict Yuvaraj cannot claim A class prison as his right since he was convicted for a grave offense of beheading a Dalit youngster.

The State filed a counter stating that the plea is not at all maintainable either in law or on facts.

The State further submitted that as per the rules 225, 226, and 227 of the Tamil Nadu Prison Rules, 1983, prisoners shall be eligible for class A, if they are of social status, education or habit of life have been accustomed to a superior mode of living.

If any person convicted of an offense involving gross indecency or exhibiting grave depravity of character may not be placed in Class A, said the State.

In the present case, the petitioner's husband has been convicted for an offense of grave depravity of character, hence the plea cannot be allowed, the State added.