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Maharashtra home department to trace over 600 convicts jumping parole

The court added that the committee should concentrate on cases pertaining to absconding convicts.

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In a bid to trace over 600 convicts jumping furlough and parole in Maharashtra, the home department will soon start publishing pictures of the missing convicts on the official website and newspapers. The department is also in talks with an IT company to get GPS fitted bands for convicts to prevent further escapes. The steps are an outcome of a recent Bombay High Court order that asked the department to set up a committee to look into the matter.

According to the government data, till July 2016, there are approximately 667 cases of convicts who are absconding.

The newly formed committee held its first meeting on September 27, following which the department decided to start putting up pictures of convicts on prison website and regional as well as national newspapers. "The talks over the GPS fitted bands are expected to be finalized in the next meeting scheduled early next month," said a senior officer.

The committee headed by Vijay Satbir Singh, Additional Chief Secretary (prison department) was formed in lines with High Court directions. The committee also comprises of senior police officers, jail officials and members of the Bar. The main purpose of the committee is to suggest measures to ensure that convicts on parole and furlough do not abscond and return back.

The court added that the committee should first concentrate on cases pertaining to absconding convicts.

At the hearing held early August, acting Advocate General Rohit Deo, while referring to suggestions forwarded by the prison authorities told the court that one of the suggestions included installing radio frequency transmitters on such prisoners. The prison authorities stated that the cost of implementing something like this would be above Rs 1 Cr. Deo informed the court that the government could look into the technical feasibility of implementing such a proposal.

The other suggestions included creating a biometric criminal database for which the exercise, which is presently on and is expected to be completed by December. The other proposal is purchasing iris scanners. The committee has been asked to file its report by October 18 and the matter has been listed for hearing on October 20.

The court, was hearing a suo motu petition seeking framing of guidelines to prevent such cases after the court took cognizance of a murder convict, Ramzan Sabit Hussain, for jumping bail in 2003. The court also pointed to the need for public participation in such matters suggesting that the names and photos of such absconding convicts should be made public to help nab them.

The petition, which dates back to 2005, was taken up for directions after the Amicus Curiae filed a praecipe inviting the court's attention to the recent incident of the absconding accused in Mumbai lawyer Pallavi Purkayastha's murder case. "We find that the issues raised in this PIL are of great public importance," The court had then observed.

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