HC flays Delhi govt for parole to Manu Sharma

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court today took strong exception to the way parole was granted to Jessica Lall murder case convict Manu Sharma.

Hearing a petition by Sumeer Singh, a convict in the Connaught Place shootout case, Justice Kailash Gambhir said the government had expedited Manu Sharmas parole plea, within 20 days, even as it normally takes three to six months.

The petitioner had been seeking parole for three months now to file an appeal in the Supreme Court against his conviction on the ground that his family members were illiterate. ''The list (regarding number of parole applications) depicts a dismal picture showing the government is giving least priority to parole applications of convicts. No doubt the home department has given selective treatment to some convicts because of their high connections," Justice Gambhir observed.

Sharma, who was released on parole from Tihar jail on September 22 on the ground of his mother's illness, was reportedly spotted in a nightclub in a hotel in the city, triggering a controversy. He then returned to the Tihar Jail on his own on November 10.