The Karnataka High Court on Monday, April 3, directed prison authorities to release Anand, a convict, on parole for 15 days so that he could marry his girlfriend of nine years. This order comes after the prisoner’s girlfriend and his mother filed a joint petition seeking his parole as the girl feared that her family members would get her married to a different person. While the government contended that parole can be granted only if a person has to attend a marriage or perform it, the High Court said that this was an “extraordinary circumstance” so parole was granted.
Neetha (30), Anand’s girlfriend claimed that she has been in love with Anand for nine years and had filed the petition along with his mother Rathnamma (63) fearing that her family would get her married to someone else. According to The Hindu, Anand was sentenced to life for murder by a trial court but his sentence was reduced to ten years by the High Court. He has served six years of his sentence.
Neetha’s mother told the High Court that she has two sons and both of them are in prison so wanted to see at least one of her children get married. But the representation Rathnamma and Neetha gave to the prison authorities regarding Anand’s parole was not considered by the prison authorities, The Hindu reported.
Justice M Nagaprasanna, who heard Neethu and Rathnamma’s joint petition, directed the Bengaluru central prison authorities to release Anand on parole from April 5 to the evening of April 20. The court also directed the prison authorities to stipulate strict conditions so that Anand does not commit any other crime during his parole.