India, Sept. 22 -- The Bombay High Court has held that in cases where the facts fall under more than one category under guidelines for premature release from prison, the authorities must apply the category that is more beneficial to the convict.

A division bench of justices Sandikumar C More and Vaishali Patil-Jadhav was hearing a petition filed by Devidas Haleghongde, a murder convict lodged in the Paithan open prison. He had challenged the Maharashtra home department's February 2026 order placing him under category 2(c)-crime committed with exceptional violence or brutality-of the Guidelines for Premature Release of Life Convicts, dated March 15, 2010, thereby requiring him to serve 26 years' imprisonment, including remissions.

Halegh...