JODHPUR, Aug. 7 -- The Rajasthan high court has ordered a suo motu examination of the Rajasthan Prisoners Release on Parole Rules, 2021 after a 57-year-old woman convict died in Bikaner Central Jail while her plea for emergent parole on medical grounds remained unsuccessful. The division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma and justice Sanjeet Purohit was hearing on Wednesday a writ petition filed through the prisoner's son, Ravi Kant Swami. The plea sought 40 days' emergent parole for his mother, Manju Devi, who was lodged in Central Jail, Bikaner, to enable her to undergo medical treatment outside the prison. According to the petition, Manju Devi was serving her sentence after being convicted under Sections 498-A and 304-B of the Indian Penal Code. Her son had approached the district magistrate, Bikaner, seeking emergent parole, citing her deteriorating health. The application was rejected on June 16, 2026. The plea stated Manju Devi was suffering from multiple chronic ailments, including heart failure, cardiac disease, pulmonary disease and diabetes. She had been admitted to the ICU for five days in April this year after her condition turned critical. When the matter came up before HC, counsel informed the bench that Devi had died in jail because of her illness. Calling it a classic case of insensitiveness on the part of the District Magistrate, the court questioned the existing parole framework. The bench observed that the reasons assigned by the district magistrate reflected an interpretation of the Rajasthan Prisoners Release on Parole Rules, 2021 that resulted in denial of parole despite the prisoner's grave medical condition. The court directed the Registry to register a suo motu petition to examine Rule 11(1)(i) of the 2021 Rules. The bench noted that while the provision allows parole when an inmate's close relative is seriously ill, it does not provide similar relief when the inmate herself is suffering from a serious illness. The suo motu matter has been directed to be listed on August 19, 2026....