Karnataka High Court Grants 30-Day Parole to Murder Convict After Wife's Plea to Conceive a Child

The Karnataka High Court has granted 30-day parole to a 28-year-old murder convict after his wife filed a petition saying she wants to have children with her husband.

Judge S.R. Krishna Kumar , while hearing the 31-year-old woman's petition on June 3, directed the prison authorities to release the convict on general parole from June 5 to July 4. The judge also allowed the wife to seek an extension of parole, which would be considered based on the convict's conduct while he is out on parole.

Anand , a resident of Kolar, was arrested in a murder case and sentenced to life imprisonment by the Kolar district sessions court in 2019. He later approached the Karnataka High Court, which in 2023 reduced his sentence to 10 years. By then, Anand had spent five years in jail.

Before the murder, Anand was in a relationship with the woman, which they continued after he went to prison. In 2023, the woman approached the Karnataka High Court seeking parole for Anand to get married. The court accepted the petition and directed Anand 's release on parole from March 31 to April 20, 2023, under certain conditions. On April 11, Anand and the woman tied the knot and also registered their marriage.

Later, the woman approached the court seeking more time with her husband, and the court extended the parole to 60 days. After Anand returned to jail, the woman approached the prison authorities seeking a 90-day parole for her husband, but it was not considered.

The woman then approached the Karnataka High Court, stating she wanted to conceive a baby with her husband and sought a 90-day parole for him. In her petition, she said she was deprived of her right to progeny and her mother-in-law suffers from various ailments and wishes to spend some time with her grandchildren.

The High Court, while partly allowing the petition, directed the prison authorities to release Anand on general parole for 30 days, from June 5 to July 4. The court also directed the convict to mark his attendance at the jurisdictional police station weekly and stated that the police would be responsible for taking him back to jail if he evades going back after the parole period.