HC orders e-module to process premature release pleas of prisoners

Chennai: Madras high court has directed its registry and the Tamil Nadu prison department to take steps to implement ‘E-Prisons Early Release Processing Module’ - a software for premature release of convicts mandated by the Supreme Court.

“As a first step, the prisons at Puzhal will be taken up as a pilot project for implementation of the software,” a division bench of Justice Anita Sumanth and Justice Sunder Mohan said.

The registrar (IT) of the court is directed to convene a meeting of the stakeholders as required for proper implementation of the software within two weeks and a status report be placed before this bench within a week thereafter confirming the readiness of the module for implementation in the prisons at Puzhal, the judges added.

The court passed the order on a plea moved by Nanjil Mugilan seeking premature release of his father, a life convict incarcerated for more than 21 years in a case of attempt to murder and under the Explosive Substances Act.

During the hearing, the court cited an order passed by the Supreme Court on April 13 regarding implementation of an electronic system for hassle-free processing of applications of convicts seeking early release.

“This court seizes this opportunity to enable the implementation of the module in the prisons of Tamil Nadu as well,” the court said.