India

143 Gujarat Prisoners Granted 15‑Day Diwali Parole

By ANI

Since 2003, Gujarat has granted 15 days of parole to prisoners each Diwali. The state government has approved a 15‑day Diwali parole for 143 eligible inmates in various correctional facilities. Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi guided the decision, which allows eligible male prisoners aged 60 or older and eligible female prisoners to celebrate the festival with their families. The parole will run from Dhanteras, November 6, 2026, and includes 103 male and 40 female inmates. Director General of Police K L N Rao noted that prisoners convicted of serious offences are ineligible. Those excluded include inmates with pending High Court appeals, NRI prisoners, prisoners from other states, those serving NDPS, TADA, or POTA sentences, those involved in terrorism or activities harming the state’s economy, multiple‑offence convicts, and those convicted of serious anti‑social crimes such as rape, kidnapping, robbery, dacoity, theft or extortion, as well as those under preventive detention orders.