Prisoner released from jail for good conduct kills two

Jail superintendent behind his release faces legal action after convict murdered victims within a month of being freed

Aprisoner freed from jail on the basis of good conduct has been rearrested after murdering two people within a month of his release.

Authorities have initiated action against the jail superintendent who recommended 25-year-old Pawan Kumar’s release. Officials said the convict from Pokhrahi village in Aurangabad district had been serving a seven-year jail term in a local divisional jail.

On October 2, to mark the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, authorities approved the early release six prisoners, including Pawan Kumar. He was released nine days later.

However, within a month of his release, he is alleged to have killed two people, Mohammad Shafiq and his cousin Mohammad Gaddi.

According to the charges, the paroled convict shot dead Shafiq, who he believed was having an affair with his wife while he was in prison. He then murdered his cousin by drowning him in a pond, police said.

The entire story came to light on Thursday when jail superintendent Avinash Kumar reached the office of the local District Superintendent of Police Satya Prakash to obtain his signature for the completion of paperwork to do with Pawan Kumar’s release.

DSP Prakash was stunned to find Pawan Kumar’s name on the list of early release that the jail superintendent had brought.

Magistrate intervenes

He immediately raised the matter with local district magistrate Rahul Ranjan Mahiwal, who removed Avinash Kumar from his post and replaced him with Fate Fayaz.

“The jail superintendent has been found misusing his post and prima facie this charge has been found to be true. We have removed him from the post,” Mahiwal told the media yesterday.

As per the jail manual, the only those prisoners eligible for release from jail are those who have completed twothirds of their jail terms, are 60 years of age and above. They also should have exhibited model behaviour.