Nalini can present her side via video conferencing, says govt

Nalini wanted to argue her own case and request leave to arrange for her daughter’s wedding.

A division bench comprising Justice M M Sundaresh and Justice M Nirmal Kumar before whom the submission was made by the State on Tuesday expressed surprise as to how the police in-charge of Law and Order are unable to provide security to a convict wanting to present her case.

Reiterating that Nalini has a right to appear in person and that it’s her choice to either engage a counsel or not, the bench directed the State to ask Nalini whether she is willing to make her submissions for parole through Video conferencing and inform the Court about the same in a week.

Nalini, who has been in prison for over 27 years had moved a plea seeking to direct the Superintendent of the Special Prison for Women in Vellore to produce her before the court to argue her case for leave as a party-in-person.

She also submitted that as a life-convict she is entitled to leave of a month once every two years.

But since she had never availed such ordinary leave, she made a representation to the prison authorities on February 25 seeking six months leave to arrange for her daughter’s marriage. Subsequently, her mother also made a similar representation on March 22. But with both the pleas failing to evoke any response, she moved theHigh Court.