In a shocking revelation, home minister R.R. Patil on Wednesday said that 2,697 prisoners lodged in various jails in Mumbai have jumped parole or gone missing. Meanwhile, in the last 10 years, only 57 prisoners from Pune’s Yerawada Jail have jumped parole and gone absconding.
Mr Patil was replying to queries raised by NCP legislator Bapusaheb Pathare and BJP leader Girish Bapat in the state Legislative Assembly. Mr Bapat had asked whether more than 2,500 inmates from Mumbai had jumped parole or gone missing since being granted furlough, to which, in a
written reply, Mr Patil admitted that as many as 2,697 prisoners were reported missing till June this year.
“In the last three years, extensive search operation was launched by the police department to
trace these wanted criminals and as a result, 2,224 prisoners were re-arrested,” the home minister said.
“Just in the past six months, the Mumbai police has arrested 373 inmates apart from 76 inmates, who were found dead,” Mr Patil added.
Replying to queries related to Yerawada Jail, Mr Patil said, “In the last 10 years a total of 57 prisoners, who were out on parole, have gone absconding. Almost 25 per cent of the absconding prisoners were involved in serious crimes like murder, rape and attempt to murder.”
He said that necessary action has been taken under provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) pertaining to absconding. Police authorities published a list of absconding prisoners on all the police station notice boards every month.
The state government had set up special cells in October 2010 to track down persons who have jumped bail and convicts who have jumped parole/furlough. In 2011, the Bombay high court had suggested that the government explore the possibility of tracking devices on prisoners out on bail, furlough or parole. However, the government had informed the court that it would be difficult to implement it, both legally as well as practically.