HC to decide fate of two aged women convicts on Dec 20

Public prosecutor informed a division bench the medical reports of the two prisoners had been received from Kolhapur jail but they were not in proper format and hence fresh reports had been called.

Accordingly, Justices Abhay Oka and S S Shinde kept the matter for hearing on December 20.

Earlier, the court had asked Kolhapur Central Jail superintendent to take the two women convicts to the prison hospital and get them examined by the Kolhapur civil surgeon.

The court was hearing a petition filed by Champa Kamble, 90, and Hausabai Kohli, 80, who claimed premature release on health ground by invoking clause (ii) of Rule 27 of Maharashtra Prisons (Review of Sentences) Rules.

Kamble had pleaded she wanted to spend rest of her life with her near and dear ones.

Hausabai, convicted for murdering her daughter-in-law for dowry, has spent 17 years in jail. She pleaded that her daughter and grandson were keen to take her home.

Both wrote letters from Kolhapur Jail where they are undergoing the sentence.

On last occasion, the court had asked the state to take a stand on the plea made by Kamble and Kohli for premature release.

However, the state informed the court that Governor K Sankaranarayanan had rejected their plea.

Kamble and Kohli then challenged the communication dated October 22 by which rejection of their prayer for release was communicated to them.

Advocate Arfan Sait, who was appointed by the High Court's legal aid cell, said under the Maharashtra Prison Review of Sentence Rules, 1972, a medical officer can recommend early release of a convict on the ground he or she is suffering from illness which may aggravate the condition or result in death. (MORE)