AURANGABAD: The absence of photos of prisoners who jumped parole and furlough from prisons in the state is proving to be a major challenge for police.
As many as 595 prisoners, who were among hundreds granted parole and furlough in three decades, have to return. Most absconders are convicts facing life-terms for murder, dacoity and rape.
In each case, an offence has been registered with police stations, but state police have failed to zero in on them.
Last month, state prison department submitted data about absconding inmates, updated till April, to the home department and director-general of police’s office.
Additional director-general of police (law & order) Rajender Singh told TOI, “Police are exploring legal resources and other options. Police have started initiating action through tehsildars or appropriate authorities, against guarantors of absconders.”
A total of 333 inmates jumped parole, while 262 jumped furlough from the 14 central, district and open prisons of Maharashtra. Authorities maintained that the absconders do not include inmates granted emergency paroles due to the pandemic since March 2020. The emergency parole of those released during the pandemic has been extended.
Nagpur central prison recorded 120 absconding inmates, Amravati central prison 126, Morshi open prison one, Yerawada central prison 108, Kolhapur central prison 44, Yerawada open prison two, Aurangabad central prison 61, Nashik Road central prison 113, Paithan open prison 17, Dhule district prison two, Mumbai central prison three, Thane central prison two, Ratnagiri special prison two and Gadchiroli central prison one.
