Delhi HC grants 3-week parole to HIV positive convict in Jigisha Ghosh murder case

New Delhi, Nov 15 (PTI) The Delhi High Court has granted three weeks' parole to one of the convicts in the murder case of IT executive Jigisha Ghosh, with the direction that he may continue his treatment for HIV during the period.

The high court granted the relief to the convict, noting that the counsel for the state has no objection if he is released on parole, instead of furlough.

"The petitioner (convict) should not leave the limits of the National Capital Region (NCR) during the parole period … He should attend to his medical needs and continue his ongoing treatment for HIV during the period of parole," Justice Sanjeev Narula said in an order passed on November 12.

The convict, who is currently serving a life sentence, was awarded the death penalty by a trial court in 2016 in the 2009 Jigisha Ghosh murder case. The sentence was commuted to life imprisonment by the Delhi High Court.

He was also convicted in the murder case of journalist Soumya Vishwanathan in 2008 by a trial court and sentenced to a life term in 2023.

The November 12 order came on a plea by the convict, who has been in jail for around 16 years. The plea challenged the authorities' July 26 decision to deny him a three-week furlough.

During the proceedings, the counsel for the state submitted he had no objection to the convict being released on parole, instead of furlough, subject to restriction of movement within the NCR and upon furnishing his residential address.

The state's counsel further said that since the convict is undergoing treatment for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), he should be permitted to attend to his medical needs independently during the parole period.

In view of the statement, advocate Anup Kumar Das, who was representing the convict, said he did not wish to press the petition on merits and agreed to the grant of parole.

He urged the court to grant liberty to the convict to apply for furlough at an appropriate stage.

The high court disposed of the petition with the direction that the convict be released on a personal bond of Rs 25,000 with one surety of the like amount.

It directed the convict to surrender before the jail authorities on expiry of the parole.

Jigisha, 28, who was working in an IT firm, was kidnapped and killed on March 18, 2009, after her office cab dropped her near her home in south Delhi's Vasant Vihar at around 4 am.

Her body was recovered on March 20, 2009, from Surajkund in Haryana. Police later arrested three men in the case and led them to prosecution.

The recovery of the weapon used in Jigisha's murder had led to the cracking of the murder case of Soumya Vishwanathan, who was a journalist with a news channel.

Soumya was shot dead on September 30, 2008, while she was returning home in her car from the office in the early morning.

The police had claimed robbery as the motive behind the killings of both Jigisha and Soumya. PTI SKV VN VN