Punjab & Haryana High Court Grants Parole to Convict After Finding Denial Order Unsupported by Record; Says Past Cases Cannot Justify Refusal When Acquitted or Sentence Undergone

Case Name: Kamaljeet Singh @ Lada vs. State of Punjab & Others
Date of Judgment: 01 December 2025
Citation: CRWP-7552-2025
Bench: Hon’ble Mrs. Justice Manisha Batra

Held: The Punjab and Haryana High Court set aside the order denying parole to a convict serving a five-year sentence, holding that the authorities rejected his request solely by citing his involvement in nineteen past cases without acknowledging that he had already been acquitted or had completed the sentence in all of them. The Court held that parole, being a reformative measure grounded in human dignity and family reintegration, cannot be denied on vague apprehensions unsupported by concrete material.

Summary: The petitioner sought eight weeks of parole under the Punjab Good Conduct Prisoners (Temporary Release) Act, 1962, but the District Magistrate rejected the request on the premise that his previous criminal involvement posed a threat to State security and public order. The High Court found the reasoning unsustainable, noting that the mere existence of multiple prior cases is meaningless when the petitioner stands acquitted or has already undergone the sentence in each of them. The Court also observed that the Gram Panchayat of the petitioner’s village had expressly conveyed that it had no objection to his temporary release, a relevant factor ignored by the authorities. Emphasising that parole serves rehabilitative purposes and strengthens familial bonds, the Court reiterated that denial requires compelling and demonstrable grounds—none of which existed in the present matter.

Decision: The impugned order dated 28 May 2025 was quashed. The Court directed that the petitioner be released on four weeks’ parole, subject to furnishing the requisite bonds and complying with any conditions imposed to ensure orderly conduct during the parole period. He must surrender upon completion of the term.