The Bombay high court has rejected the pleas of two aged female convicts, who had sought release on medical grounds and old age.
The two, Hausabai Koli, 80, and Champa Kamble, 90, are serving life imprisonment in separate cases in Kolhapur jail. They had written to the Maharashtra governor seeking release, but their plea was rejected, after which they approached the high court.
A division bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice AP Bhangale rejected their plea on the grounds that their medical condition had not changed in the two medical tests conducted by prison authorities in January and December 2012.
Further, the court said the medical records were highly unreliable and could not be a basis for their release. The women had attached the first medical report with their plea. The court then called for the December test report.
The court said that if their health deteriorated, they could reapply to the authorities. Koli was convicted for murdering her daughter-in-law for dowry and has spent over 17 years in jail. Kamble has completed over 14 years in prison for a similar crime.
