Madras HC orders TN govt to dispose of pending applications of premature release expeditiously

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court directed the Director General of Prisons to issue circulars to the competent authorities across the State to consider all the pending pre-mature release representation of prisoners and dispose of it expeditiously.

Considering the plight of the convicts who are not in the position to reach the Court, we are directing the authorities to perform their public duties in an prudent manner, to ensure that, such premature release applications are decided within a reasonable period of time, without any undue delay and in an uniform manner in the order of seniority, wrote a division bench of Justice SM Subramaniam and Justice V Sivagnanam.

Inordinate delay in disposing of such representations undoubtedly would cause prejudice to the convicts and therefore, authorities are expected to borne in mind that the premature release representations are looked into at the earliest possible, read the judgment.

The bench also directed the Director General of Prisons to issue circulars in this regard within four weeks.

The directions was issued while disposing of a petition moved by the wife of a convict.

The petitioner submitted that her husband is now confined in the Vellore central prison, despite he is eligible for premature release, the prison authorities are not considering her representation.

Hence, the petition was moved to direct the authorities to consider her representation.

While disposing of the petition, the bench wrote that it is the duty cast upon the public officers to ensure that the applications submitted for premature release or any other grievance are considered and orders are passed on merits, within reasonable time.