103 convict prisoners to walk out on parole for Diwali

Coimbatore: As many as 103 convict prisoners will walk out of the Coimbatore Central Prison soon on parole to celebrate Diwali with their family members. While most of the prisoners will get parole for three days, 10% of the convict prisoners will get parole for six days. They won't be escorted by police personnel and can travel to their home town by buses and should return to the prison on time.

According to sources, as per the prison manual, the superintendent of prison can provide maximum of 15 days' parole per year to each convict prisoners based on their good conducts. The prison department decided to provide parole for 103 convict prisoners (life term imprisonment or 10 and above years' of imprisonment) to celebrate Diwali along with their family members.

"We have received 103 applications from the convict prisoners. They had attached the conduct certificates issued by probationary officers and prison officials along with the applications. All the applications were scrutinized and 50 convict prisoners will walk out of the prison on parole on October 16 and another 53 prisoners will walk out of the prison on October 17," said M Senthil Kumar, superintendent of prisons.

Meanwhile, prison authorities have arranged to sell new clothes to remand prisoners on the prison premises. They can buy clothes and sweets and celebrate Diwali.

Senthil Kumar said prison authorities have arranged new clothes for remand prisoners who cannot go out of the prison without conditional bail. "The remand prisoners can buy clothes for them by paying the respective amount for the clothes. They can also buy sweets to distribute to other inmates," said Senthil Kumar.

More than 1,700 prisoners including remand and convict prisoners are lodged at the Coimbatore Central Prison at present. Most of them hail from Coimbatore, Tirupur, Nilgiris, Erode, Salem and Namakkal districts.