District-Level Digital App For Prisoners' Furlough/Parole Applications & Process Updates: P&H High Court Seeks Inputs From States, UT Admin

The Punjab & Haryana High Court has sought suggestions from both the states and Chandigarh administration on the issue for creating a digital application at District level for registering parole, furlough of jail inmates and to examine the same on their level.

A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Ritu Bahri and Justice Nidhi Gupta passed this order while taking suo-moto cognisance of the issue: "as to whether the State should make an digital app at every district level where applications made for grant of furlough/parole by all the inmates can be registered and the process of grant of furlough/parole should also be uploaded on that application."

The bench further said that another aspect, which can be considered that the digital app can also the details of all the 'proclaimed offenders' in a particular district.

Apart from this the digital app can also have details of the FIR as well as the challan presented so that the copies of the challan can be taken to pursue the remedies in Courts. The major parts of the inmates in the jail are from the weaker sections of the society and this app could help them to pursue their legal matters for grant of parole, bail etc, it added.

The development came while hearing the plea filed by an organisation 'Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee' challenging the parole recently granted to Gurmeet Ram Rahim.

The Court noted that a detailed reply has been filed by the Superintendent Jail, District Jail, Rohtak where Ram Rahim was lodged.

As per the reply Ram Rahim was released for 40 days in January on regular parole and during that period, he used to reside in Shah Satnam Ji Ashram situated in the jurisdiction area of Police Station Binoli and he surrendered on 03.03.2023 in time and there was no effect on the law and order situation of the District during his 40 days parole period, the bench noted.

While deferring the hearing for February 13, the Court issued notice to State of Haryana, Punjab and UT Chandigarh directing them to "examine this issue and give their suggestion for creating a digital app, for the aforementioned purpose(s) at District(s) level."

Case Title: Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee

Appearance: Puran Singh Hundal, Sr. Advocate with  Advocates Gursahib Singh Hundal, Harmanpreet Singh,and Ankush Chauhan, Advocates for the petitioner.

Pawan Girdhar, Addl. A.G., Haryana.  Abhay Pal Singh Gill, DAG, Punjab.

Satya Pal Jain, Addl. Solicitor General of India with Dheeraj Jain, Sr. Panel Counsel for respondent No.6.

Sonia Mathur, Sr. Advocate with Advocates Harish Chhabra, Amit Tiwari, Abhishek Sanghi, Jitendra Khurana,  Divik Mathur, Advocate and Nikhil Jaswal for respondent No.9.

 Click here to read/download the order.