The Maharashtra state police's Prison Department appears to be in a situation where the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing. Reply to an application filed under the Right to Information Act has revealed that the Department has no record of prisoners, including Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, who have applied for furlough and those granted leave in the past six years. This lack of data raises a question mark on the functioning of the Department and transparency.
The Maharashtra state police's Prison Department appears to be in a situation where the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing. Reply to an application filed under the Right to Information Act has revealed that the Department has no record of prisoners, including Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, who have applied for furlough and those granted leave in the past six years. This lack of data raises a question mark on the functioning of the Department and transparency.
Why did the activist seek info?
Intrigued by the approval to a furlough application of actor Sanjay Dutt in December 2014, which wasn't his first application since his jail term began, activist Mansoor Umer Darvesh had filed an RTI query in January with the state Home Department seeking information on the total number of furlough applications received and cleared.
What exactly did the application mention?
The information sought was simple: "Number of inmates who have applied for furlough leave from prison in the last six years, which is from 2009 to 2014. Total number of inmates who were granted furlough leave with their names."
What was the response?
The application was transferred to additional director general of police and inspector general (prison) of the state. The public information officer of the ADGP and IG (prison) replied, saying the information requested was "unavailable with the office".
The applicant was surprised when the office of the ADGP and IG (prison) dished out a list of 43 prisons in the state and asked him to get in touch with each of the facilities to compile the data, which they do not maintain at all.
What does the activist say?
Darvesh said it was shocking that the Prison Department doesn't maintain data on prisoners seeking furlough and the ones who were out of jail temporarily. "This is happening despite the issue being in limelight in the recent past and an inquiry on extension of furlough for Dutt."
The activist wondered if the response meant that either the Department does not get any furlough application or furloughs are granted without its knowledge. "The other inference is that even if furloughs are granted, the higher-ups are not kept informed. What is all the more surprising is that the Department is unaware that Sanjay Dutt had moved an application and has been out of prison multiple of times while he serving his jail term," shared Darvesh.
Privilege leave?
Actor Sanjay Dutt has spent over 118 days out of jail, either on parole or on furlough for his jail sentence of five years for illegal possession of arms in connection with the 1993 Mumbai blasts. After his conviction in May 2013, the actor has been serving his balance jail term of three-and-a-half years. In between, he has been out of prison on many occasions.
The rules
As per existing rules, a prisoner is entitled to 14 days of furlough a year, which can be extended by another 14 days depending on the report of law enforcing agencies.
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