AAP govt opposes convict’s parole plea

New Delhi: The AAP government on Tuesday opposed a parole plea in Delhi High Court by a convict serving life term in the Jigisha Ghosh murder case, and facing trial in the sensational 2008 murder of TV journalist Soumya Viswanathan, saying there was a threat that he may misuse the relief and abscond.

Murder convict Ravi Kapoor, in custody since March 2009, has approached the high court seeking parole for three months to take proper medical treatment as he was suffering from life threatening disease and for surgery of chronic sinus.

Highlighting Kapoor’s record in jail, the state government said in its report that his conduct in prison is not good and he has been given 41 punishments on various counts, including misbehaviour with officials and fights.

The status report of the authorities was filed before Justice Mukta Gupta who listed the matter for further hearing in April after the convict's counsel sought time to file reply to the report.

In the report filed through Delhi government standing counsel (criminal) Rahul Mehra along with advocate Jamal Akhtar, the government sought dismissal of the parole plea claiming that Kapoor was a “dreaded criminal”.

It said that he should not be released on parole as he was a hard core criminal and threat to society.

There is an imminent danger and real threat that he may abscond by misusing the parole, the report said. It added that besides serving life term in 2009 business executive Jigisha Ghosh's murder case, Kapoor was also facing trial for allegedly murdering Soumya and several prosecution witnesses are yet to depose against him in the matter.

The authorities also informed the court that the high court had in June 2018, granted parole to Kapoor for filing an appeal in the Supreme Court and re-establishing social ties with family and society.

However, the parole was set aside by the apex court after the state filed an appeal against the high court order.