The High Court of Karnataka has declined to release serial rapist and killer B.A. Umesh Reddy on parole in one of the rape and murder case, in which he is undergoing imprisonment for life at Bengaluru central prison after his death sentence was commuted to imprisonment for life by the apex court in 2022.
Justice M. Nagaprasanna passed the order while dismissing a petition filed by Reddy questioning the rejection of his plea by the prison authorities for release on parole for 30 days to be with his 84-year-old ailing mother and to undertake repair of her house, which is said to be in dilapidated condition.
Merely because the apex court has granted him an opportunity to seek remission after 30 years and he has already completed 26 years in imprisonment since his arrest, he is not entitled for parole, the court observed.
Apex court guidelines
Citing the guidelines issued by the apex court, the High Court noted that reformation theory of sentencing and the competing public interesting will have to be kept in mind while considering the cases for granting parole or furlough.
“The public interest demands that those who are habitual offenders and may have the tendency to commit the crime again on their parole, or have the tendency to become a threat to the law and order of society, should not be released on parole,” the High Court said while relying on the apex court’s guidelines.
Considering the large public interest, his plea for release on parole for 30 days cannot be considered based on reformative theory as the police report, sought by the prison authorities for considering his plea for parole, has also indicated that there would be threat to his life due to his past enmity in his native place.
Case background
Umesh Reddy was involved in rape and attempt to rape cases in Chitradurga district much before his arrest in 1998. He faces other cases of rape and murder in various parts of the State and the country.
Quoting the police report, the court pointed out that he has two brothers, one of whom is staying with the mother, and a sister to care of his ailing mother and to undertake the required repair work of mother’s house situated at Basappa Malige village, Hiriyur taluk in Chitradurga district.
The High Court also noted that apex court had imposed a rider that he should serve a minimum of sentence of 30 years since his arrest before considering his case of grant of remission, and if remission is granted to him, then he would undergo imprisonment for the remainder of his life.
