New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has granted parole to a foreign national for three weeks to enable him to appeal in the Supreme Court, observing every individual has the right to effectively pursue legal recourse in the country's ultimate court of justice which is their "final glimmer of hope".
Justice Rajnish Bhatnagar said this "invaluable entitlement" cannot be denied on grounds of severity of the offence or availability of free legal assistance even if a special leave petition can be filed before the top court from jail itself. In his petition, the convict, who was awarded life sentence, sought parole for eight weeks on the ground that he wanted to appeal before the Supreme Court and that he was suffering from certain medical issues.
"This court is of the opinion that every individual possesses the right to effectively pursue their legal recourse in the ultimate court of justice within the nation, accomplished by submitting a Special Leave Petition (SLP) through a chosen legal representative," said the court in a recent order. "This is an invaluable entitlement that should not be denied solely based on the severity of the offense or the availability of free legal assistance, even if the SLP can be filed from jail itself....The entitlement of an individual to access a lawful solution in the ultimate court of the country, often seen as a final glimmer of hope, cannot be refused for such reasons," it observed.