New Delhi, April 30 -- The Delhi High Court has clarified that there is no absolute prohibition on granting simultaneous parole or furlough to co-accused persons, holding that a rigid or mechanical interpretation of prison rules would defeat the reformative purpose of such provisions.

The Court delivered the ruling on Wednesday while deciding petitions filed by two convicts who had challenged provisions of the Delhi Prisons Rules, 2018, specifically note 2 of rule 1212 and note 1 of rule 1224, after being denied furlough solely on the ground that their co-accused had already been granted similar relief.

The Bench observed that parole and furlough are rooted in the principles of reformative justice and are closely linked to the right to ...