By IANS,
New Delhi: The families of those killed in crimes and accidents were Wednesday left disappointed with the Delhi High Court granting five-day parole to Manu Sharma, who is serving a life term here for murdering ramp model Jessica Lall in 1999.
The parole was granted to Sharma so that he could attend his brother’s marriage. Parole is the temporary release of a convict from prison before the end of his sentence, subject to certain conditions.
“The whole idea of people who are undergoing sentence for murder needing to attend a wedding is beyond my comprehension,” said Neelam Katara, mother of Nitish Katara who was murdered in Uttar Pradesh in 2002 by a Vikas Yadav, a politician’s son.
“A very strong message should be sent in all such cases that if you take someone’s life, you and your family won’t be able to enjoy these simple pleasures of life,” said Katara.
Neelam Katara said that the decision to bar Sharma from visiting nightclubs and discotheques during parole was strange as the main issue was to prohibit people who commit murder from attending weddings and functions as per their wish.
Similar views were echoed by Neelam Krishnamurthy, whose two children were among the 59 people killed in a fire in south Delhi’s Uphaar cinema in 1997.
“It is very disappointing…our system is very accused-friendly. They only think about rehabilitating the accused but no thought is given to the victim. They never realise what the victim is going through,” said Krishnamurthy.
The fire June 13, during the screening of Hindi film “Border”, claimed 59 lives and injured over 100 people in the subsequent stampede in the cinema hall in Green Park.
“It’s a very wrong message which goes out…Something needs to be done about this,” she added.
Chaman Lal Mattoo, whose daughter Priyadarshini Mattoo was raped and murdered in 1996 by her senior in a law course and son of a former police officer, said: “Such spoilt brats are given some concessions which are not regularly and ordinarily accepted by the courts.”
Priyadarshini was killed in south Delhi’s Vasant Kunj area by Santosh Kumar Singh, who has been sentenced to a life term.