{"id":35196,"date":"2026-11-04T07:21:06","date_gmt":"2026-11-04T07:21:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/?p=35196"},"modified":"2026-11-04T07:21:41","modified_gmt":"2026-11-04T07:21:41","slug":"parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/","title":{"rendered":"Out, but Not Free: Parole, Furlough and the Running Clock of the Sentence in Indian Law"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h1 id=\"h-parole-vs-furlough-in-india-does-time-outside-prison-count-as-sentence-served\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Parole_vs_Furlough_in_India_Does_Time_Outside_Prison_Count_as_Sentence_Served\"><\/span>Parole vs Furlough in India: Does Time Outside Prison Count as Sentence Served?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>A doctrinal analysis from State of Haryana v. Mohinder Singh (2000) to Daudayal v. State of Rajasthan (2026)<\/strong><\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #0c0c0c;color:#0c0c0c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #0c0c0c;color:#0c0c0c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#Parole_vs_Furlough_in_India_Does_Time_Outside_Prison_Count_as_Sentence_Served\" >Parole vs Furlough in India: Does Time Outside Prison Count as Sentence Served?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#Abstract\" >Abstract<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#I_The_Reformative_Premise\" >I. The Reformative Premise<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#II_The_Architecture_Whose_Law_Is_It\" >II. The Architecture: Whose Law Is It?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#The_State_List\" >The State List<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#Rules_and_Statutes\" >Rules and Statutes<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#Nature_of_the_Power\" >Nature of the Power<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#The_BNSS_Overlay\" >The BNSS Overlay<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#Soft_Law\" >Soft Law<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#Variation_in_Practice\" >Variation in Practice<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#State-Wise_Comparison_of_Parole_and_Furlough_Rules\" >State-Wise Comparison of Parole and Furlough Rules<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#III_The_Concepts\" >III. The Concepts<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#Parole_and_Bail\" >Parole and Bail<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#Parole_and_Furlough\" >Parole and Furlough<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#IV_The_Running_Clock_Do_the_Days_Outside_Count\" >IV. The Running Clock: Do the Days Outside Count?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#1_The_Foundation_Cases_of_February_2000\" >1. The Foundation Cases of February 2000<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#2_The_Cases_That_Exclude_Parole_Time\" >2. The Cases That Exclude Parole Time<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#3_The_Cases_That_Treat_Furlough_as_Service_of_Sentence\" >3. The Cases That Treat Furlough as Service of Sentence<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#4_The_Doctrinal_Fault_Line\" >4. The Doctrinal Fault Line<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-20\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#V_Not_a_Right_but_Not_a_Blank_Cheque\" >V. Not a Right, but Not a Blank Cheque<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-21\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#Darvakar\" >Darvakar<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-22\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#Narayan_Sai\" >Narayan Sai<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-23\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#Asfaq_The_Counterpoise\" >Asfaq: The Counterpoise<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-24\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#Atbir\" >Atbir<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-25\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#Co-Accused_Delhi_2026\" >Co-Accused: Delhi, 2026<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-26\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#Uttar_Pradesh_2026\" >Uttar Pradesh, 2026<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-27\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#The_Consolidated_Position\" >The Consolidated Position<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-28\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#VI_When_the_Order_Is_Made_It_Must_Be_Obeyed_Daudayal\" >VI. When the Order Is Made, It Must Be Obeyed: Daudayal<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-29\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#Daudayal_The_Supreme_Courts_Latest_Statement_on_Parole\" >Daudayal: The Supreme Court&#8217;s Latest Statement on Parole<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-30\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#Background_and_Facts_of_the_Case\" >Background and Facts of the Case<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-31\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#The_Supreme_Courts_Decision_in_Daudayal\" >The Supreme Court&#8217;s Decision in Daudayal<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-32\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#Citations_and_Legal_Observations_in_Daudayal\" >Citations and Legal Observations in Daudayal<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-33\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#VII_A_Practitioners_Checklist\" >VII. A Practitioner\u2019s Checklist<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-34\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#1_Identify_the_Governing_Legal_Instrument\" >1. Identify the Governing Legal Instrument<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-35\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#2_Classify_the_Type_of_Release\" >2. Classify the Type of Release<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-36\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#3_Examine_the_Computation_Clause_First\" >3. Examine the Computation Clause First<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-37\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#4_Examine_Premature-Release_Arithmetic\" >4. Examine Premature-Release Arithmetic<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-38\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#5_Check_the_Disqualifiers\" >5. Check the Disqualifiers<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-39\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#6_Build_a_Supporting_Record\" >6. Build a Supporting Record<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-40\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#7_Answer_an_Offence-Based_Refusal\" >7. Answer an Offence-Based Refusal<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-41\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#8_Insist_on_Reasoned_Orders\" >8. Insist on Reasoned Orders<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-42\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#9_Address_Restrictions_Relating_to_Co-Accused\" >9. Address Restrictions Relating to Co-Accused<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-43\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#10_Enforce_the_Release_Order\" >10. Enforce the Release Order<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-44\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#VIII_Conclusion\" >VIII. Conclusion<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-45\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#The_Legal_Distinction_Between_Parole_and_Furlough\" >The Legal Distinction Between Parole and Furlough<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-46\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#Three_Important_Refinements_from_Recent_Decisions\" >Three Important Refinements from Recent Decisions<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-47\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#The_Constitutional_Principle_Governing_Parole\" >The Constitutional Principle Governing Parole<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-48\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/parole-vs-furlough-india-sentence-computation\/#Citation_Table_Important_Judicial_Decisions_on_Parole_and_Furlough\" >Citation Table: Important Judicial Decisions on Parole and Furlough<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-abstract\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Abstract\"><\/span>Abstract<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Parole and furlough are spoken of in one breath, yet the Supreme Court has consistently refused to treat them as interchangeable. This article traces the two instruments from their reformative premise to the decisions of 2026. It advances three propositions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>First, both are creatures of State rules (and, in a few States, State statutes); there is no central entitlement.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Second, neither is a vested right, but neither may be refused by blanket exclusion or without reasons.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Third, whether the days spent outside prison count as sentence undergone is answered first by the governing scheme and the release order, and only in their silence by the default laid down by the Constitution Bench in Sunil Fulchand Shah.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-i-the-reformative-premise\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"I_The_Reformative_Premise\"><\/span>I. The Reformative Premise<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Indian penology has moved, by degrees, from retribution towards reformation. In <em>Mohammad Giasuddin v. State of A.P.<\/em>, (1977) 3 SCC 287, Krishna Iyer J. treated crime as a pathology to be remedied and the State\u2019s task as rehabilitation rather than vengeance. That premise is the moral architecture of every temporary-release scheme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The constitutional premise is equally settled. Imprisonment curtails, but does not extinguish, the fundamental rights of the prisoner: <em>Sunil Batra (2) v. State (UT of Delhi)<\/em>, (1980) 3 SCC 488; <em>Charles Sobraj v. Supt., Central Jail<\/em>, (1978) 4 SCC 104; <em>Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India<\/em>, (1978) 1 SCC 248, all as gathered in <em>Asfaq v. State of Rajasthan<\/em>, (2017) 15 SCC 55 (para 23).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Poonam Lata v. M.L. Wadhawan<\/em>, (1987) 3 SCC 347 (para 8) described parole as a wing of the reformative process: an act of grace rather than a matter of right, which leaves the prisoner\u2019s status unchanged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Asfaq<\/em> (paras 17\u201318) then gave the idea its fullest modern statement. Reformation justifies letting even life convicts out for short periods to solve family problems and keep their links with society, and the public has its own stake in successful re-entry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The same judgment supplies the counterweight in the next breath: public interest equally demands that habitual offenders, and those likely to threaten law and order, are not released.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-ii-the-architecture-whose-law-is-it\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"II_The_Architecture_Whose_Law_Is_It\"><\/span>II. The Architecture: Whose Law Is It?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-the-state-list\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_State_List\"><\/span>The State List<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cPrisons \u2026 and persons detained therein\u201d fall in Entry 4 of List II of the Seventh Schedule. There is, accordingly, no uniform national law of parole or furlough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-rules-and-statutes\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Rules_and_Statutes\"><\/span>Rules and Statutes<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Prisons Act, 1894 supplies the rule-making power in s. 59, and the Prisons (Bombay Furlough and Parole) Rules, 1959, considered in <em>State of Maharashtra v. Suresh Pandurang Darvakar<\/em>, (2006) 4 SCC 776 and <em>State of Gujarat v. Narayan<\/em>, (2021) 20 SCC 304, were made under it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some States have legislated directly: the Haryana Good Conduct Prisoners (Temporary Release) Act, 1988 (examined in Avtar Singh) and the Delhi Prison Act, 2000, whose s. 2(h) defines furlough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-nature-of-the-power\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Nature_of_the_Power\"><\/span>Nature of the Power<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Constitution Bench observed in <em>Sunil Fulchand Shah v. Union of India<\/em>, (2000) 3 SCC 409 (para 26), that the Code of Criminal Procedure has no provision on parole, that State rules framed by administrative instruction regulate it, and that the grant is, generally speaking, an administrative action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-the-bnss-overlay\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_BNSS_Overlay\"><\/span>The BNSS Overlay<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The executive power to suspend or remit sentences, formerly s. 432 CrPC, is now s. 473 BNSS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Supreme Court has noted that the two are substantially similar, that the power is circumscribed by s. 475 BNSS (formerly s. 433A CrPC), and that reasons must be recorded when a prayer for permanent remission is granted or refused: <em>In Re: Policy Strategy for Grant of Bail<\/em>, 2025 INSC 239 (Oka and Bhuyan JJ., 18 Feb 2025).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Parole and furlough are ordinarily creatures of the prison rules rather than of s. 473 as such, but some State schemes sit on the suspension-of-sentence footing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Uttar Pradesh, parole is sought under the U.P. (Suspension of Sentence of Prisoners) Rules, 2007, and in Angad Yadav (Part V) the Allahabad High Court dealt with a representation made under s. 432 CrPC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-soft-law\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Soft_Law\"><\/span>Soft Law<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rule 19.01 of the Model Prison Manual, 2016 describes parole and furlough as progressive measures of correctional service, urges that they be liberalised, and insists on well-defined norms of eligibility (as extracted in <em>Sandeep @ Sandy v. State (NCT of Delhi)<\/em>, Delhi High Court, 29.04.2026).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-variation-in-practice\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Variation_in_Practice\"><\/span>Variation in Practice<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The table below is confined to what has been verified from the judgments themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-state-wise-comparison-of-parole-and-furlough-rules\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"State-Wise_Comparison_of_Parole_and_Furlough_Rules\"><\/span>State-Wise Comparison of Parole and Furlough Rules<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Regime<\/th><th>Parole<\/th><th>Furlough<\/th><th>Counting of the Period<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Haryana Act, 1988 (Avtar Singh)<\/strong><\/td><td>s. 3: death or serious illness (up to 3 weeks); marriage or other sufficient cause (up to 4 weeks); farm operations (up to 6 weeks)<\/td><td>s. 4: sentence of 4 years or more; 3 years\u2019 continuous imprisonment; 3 annual good-conduct remissions; 3 weeks in the first year, 2 weeks thereafter<\/td><td>s. 3(3): parole excluded. s. 4(3): furlough counted<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Bombay Rules, 1959 (Darvakar; Narayan Sai)<\/strong><\/td><td>Rule 19: reasons must be stated<\/td><td>Rules 3, 4 and 6: eligibility and limits; Rule 17: no legal right<\/td><td>Furlough treated as time spent in prison; Rule 20: parole not counted as remission<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Delhi Act, 2000 and Rules, 2018 (Sandeep @ Sandy; Atbir)<\/strong><\/td><td>Rules 1208 and 1210: grounds; at least one year served<\/td><td>Rule 1220: five years\u2019 rigorous imprisonment, three years undergone<\/td><td>Rule 1199: furlough counted. Rule 1198: parole is no concession on sentence<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Rajasthan Rules, 1958 (Daudayal; Asfaq)<\/strong><\/td><td>Rule 9: staged parole of 20, 30 and 40 days after one-fourth of the sentence (with remission); then permanent parole<\/td><td>As summarised in Asfaq<\/td><td>As summarised in Asfaq<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Goa Rules, 2006 (Rohan Dhungat)<\/strong><\/td><td>Rule 335: parole counted as remission<\/td><td>Rule 335: furlough counted as remission<\/td><td>Excluded from \u201cactual imprisonment\u201d<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>U.P. Rules, 2007 (Angad Yadav)<\/strong><\/td><td>Rule 3 grounds, incl. 3(d) (crops, where no alternative); Rule 1(4)(c) excludes where other criminal proceedings are pending<\/td><td><\/td><td><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-iii-the-concepts\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"III_The_Concepts\"><\/span>III. The Concepts<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-parole-and-bail\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Parole_and_Bail\"><\/span>Parole and Bail<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bail moves the accused from the custody of the law to the custody of sureties. Parole leaves the prisoner in legal custody and changes only the mode in which the sentence is undergone. The Constitution Bench in Sunil Fulchand Shah (paras 24\u201326) adopted the bail\/parole distinction drawn nine days earlier in State of Haryana v. Mohinder Singh, (2000) 3 SCC 394, Anand CJ expressly agreeing with it. \ud83d\udfe2 The Court later repeated that parole is not suspension, remission or commutation of sentence, and that a statutory bar on suspension (there, s. 32A of the NDPS Act) does not touch the authorities\u2019 power to grant parole: Dadu @ Tulsidas v. State of Maharashtra, (2000) 8 SCC 437 (Thomas, Sethi and Variava JJ., 12 Oct 2000). \ud83d\udfe2<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Verification note.<\/strong> A later High Court summary records that the Sunil Fulchand Shah majority held the broad proposition in Poonam Lata not to state the correct law on the effect of parole on the period of detention. Check the SCR text before quoting that point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-parole-and-furlough\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Parole_and_Furlough\"><\/span>Parole and Furlough<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Parole answers an exigency; furlough rewards conduct and relieves the monotony of long incarceration. Mohinder Singh, Darvakar and Asfaq each draw the line, and the most quoted summary is Asfaq (para 16), tabulated below. One caution is essential: the figures and authorities in that summary come from the Rajasthan context and are not universal (see the table in Part II). \ud83d\udfe0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Feature<\/th><th>Parole<\/th><th>Furlough<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Purpose<\/td><td>A specific exigency: illness, death, marriage, crops, family and social ties<\/td><td>Reformative: breaks monotony, preserves family and social bonds<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Reason Required<\/td><td>Yes<\/td><td>No; eligibility and good conduct suffice<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Who May Apply<\/td><td>Even short-term prisoners<\/td><td>Long-term prisoners after a minimum period<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Duration (Asfaq, Rajasthan)<\/td><td>Up to one month<\/td><td>Up to fourteen days<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Authority (Asfaq, Rajasthan)<\/td><td>Divisional Commissioner<\/td><td>Deputy Inspector General of Prisons<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Frequency<\/td><td>Repeatable<\/td><td>Limited<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Effect on Sentence<\/td><td>Ordinarily excluded, subject to the scheme (Part IV)<\/td><td>Counted as sentence undergone<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Grant and Denial<\/td><td>Granted only on sufficient cause shown (Darvakar)<\/td><td>May be denied in the interest of society (Darvakar; Asfaq)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-iv-the-running-clock-do-the-days-outside-count\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"IV_The_Running_Clock_Do_the_Days_Outside_Count\"><\/span>IV. The Running Clock: Do the Days Outside Count?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-1-the-foundation-cases-of-february-2000\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_The_Foundation_Cases_of_February_2000\"><\/span>1. The Foundation Cases of February 2000<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">State of Haryana v. Mohinder Singh, (2000) 3 SCC 394 (S. Saghir Ahmad and D.P. Wadhwa JJ., 7 Feb 2000), arose from a remission circular under s. 432 CrPC. The Court held that its benefit reached prisoners confined in jail and those on parole or furlough, but not convicts on bail. In explaining why, it stated (para 18) that parole time does not count towards the sentence whereas furlough time does. The statement was made against the Haryana Act, which says precisely that in ss. 3(3) and 4(3).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sunil Fulchand Shah v. Union of India, (2000) 3 SCC 409 (Constitution Bench, 16 Feb 2000; 2000 INSC 74), decided a different question: whether a COFEPOSA detenu\u2019s period of preventive detention is extended by time on parole. The majority opinion of A.S. Anand CJ held that parole does not interrupt detention; that the detenu is not a free man while out; that he remains in legal custody; and that the period therefore counts towards the total period of detention unless the parole order, rules or instructions prescribe otherwise (paras 30 and 33).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Avtar Singh v. State of Haryana, (2002) 3 SCC 18 (Pattanaik, Phukan and Variava JJ., 19 Feb 2002), carried that principle expressly from preventive to punitive detention: time on parole ordinarily counts, but the position can be curtailed by legislative act, rules, instructions or the terms of the grant. On that footing the Court upheld s. 3(3) of the Haryana Act against Articles 14 and 21, reasoning that parole meets an urgent personal problem while furlough is a reformative reward, so that the classification is rational.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-2-the-cases-that-exclude-parole-time\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_The_Cases_That_Exclude_Parole_Time\"><\/span>2. The Cases That Exclude Parole Time<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Darvakar the Court read the Bombay Rules to treat furlough as time spent in prison, while Rule 20 shows that parole is not counted as remission. In Asfaq the tabulated summary repeats that the period of parole is excluded from the computation of the sentence and the period of furlough is included.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rohan Dhungat v. State of Goa, 2023 INSC 16 (M.R. Shah and C.T. Ravikumar JJ., 5 Jan 2023), concerned life convicts seeking premature release under the Goa Prisons Rules, 2006. Rule 335 provides that release on furlough and parole is counted as remission. The Court held that parole must be excluded in computing the fourteen years of actual imprisonment. It distinguished Sunil Fulchand Shah as a COFEPOSA case that itself yields to contrary rules or orders, held Avtar Singh inapplicable, and rejected the argument based on s. 55 of the Prisons Act, 1894 (a prisoner taken to or from prison is deemed to be in prison), which it held does not apply to release on parole. It added a policy reason: if parole counted, an influential prisoner could obtain repeated paroles and defeat the purpose of actual imprisonment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Anil Kumar v. State of Haryana, W.P. (Crl.) 46 of 2022, decided 24 March 2023 (2023 INSC 296), followed Rohan Dhungat, Avtar Singh and Mohinder Singh, and held that emergency parole granted during the COVID-19 period was not to be counted towards the sentence under the Haryana Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-3-the-cases-that-treat-furlough-as-service-of-sentence\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_The_Cases_That_Treat_Furlough_as_Service_of_Sentence\"><\/span>3. The Cases That Treat Furlough as Service of Sentence<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Atbir v. State (NCT of Delhi), (2022) 13 SCC 96 (Dinesh Maheshwari and Aniruddha Bose JJ., 29 Apr 2022), the Court contrasted the two instruments: parole is akin to a temporary suspension of execution of the sentence, whereas a prisoner on furlough is deemed to be serving the sentence, because furlough time is not deducted from the actual period served. Delhi\u2019s Rule 1199 says the same in terms. Atbir is dealt with further in Part V.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-4-the-doctrinal-fault-line\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_The_Doctrinal_Fault_Line\"><\/span>4. The Doctrinal Fault Line<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two strands run through these decisions. The first (Sunil Fulchand Shah, Avtar Singh) treats parole as a mode of undergoing the sentence that ordinarily counts unless the scheme says otherwise. The second (Mohinder Singh, Asfaq, Rohan Dhungat, Anil Kumar) states that parole time is not counted. In every one of the second-strand cases, however, the governing statute or rule did exclude it: Haryana s. 3(3), Goa Rule 335, the Bombay Rules. The two strands are thus reconcilable as a rule-first approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What the authorities do not squarely resolve is the case where the scheme and the release order are both silent. There, the more cautious reading is that the Constitution Bench default and its three-judge extension in Avtar Singh govern, since a later two-judge bench could not have displaced them, and the general sentences in Asfaq and Rohan Dhungat were written against schemes that excluded parole time. The point is open to argument, and a court asked to decide it afresh should be shown the text of the scheme first. The text of the rule can decide the case either way: a Bombay High Court bench, applying Rule 20 of the Bombay Rules together with Sunil Fulchand Shah, counted parole towards the sentence (Dadu @ Tulsidas Manpher Patel v. State of Maharashtra, 2002 Cri LJ 3850 (Bom)), whereas Rohan Dhungat excluded it under a Goa rule that equates parole with remission. The Bombay decision pre-dates Rohan Dhungat and should be used with care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>In short: read the rule, then the order, and only then the default.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-v-not-a-right-but-not-a-blank-cheque\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"V_Not_a_Right_but_Not_a_Blank_Cheque\"><\/span>V. Not a Right, but Not a Blank Cheque<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-darvakar\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Darvakar\"><\/span>Darvakar<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">State of Maharashtra v. Suresh Pandurang Darvakar, (2006) 4 SCC 776, held that furlough is not an absolute right of the prisoner (Bombay Rule 17) and is subject to Rules 4(4) and 6. Because furlough requires no particular reason, it may be denied in the interest of society; parole, by contrast, is to be granted only on sufficient cause being shown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-narayan-sai\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Narayan_Sai\"><\/span>Narayan Sai<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">State of Gujarat v. Narayan, (2021) 20 SCC 304 = 2021 SCC OnLine SC 949 (D.Y. Chandrachud and B.V. Nagarathna JJ., 20 Oct 2021), set aside a Gujarat High Court order granting fourteen days\u2019 furlough to Narayan Sai, a life convict. The Court formulated \u201cbroad, general\u201d principles. Furlough and parole are both short-term releases. Parole meets a specific exigency; furlough may be granted after a stipulated period of service without any reason, to break the monotony of imprisonment and preserve continuity with family and society. But there is no absolute legal right to furlough, the grant must be balanced against the public interest, and it may be refused to certain categories of prisoners. The expression \u201cmay be released\u201d in Rule 3 and the disclaimer of any legal right in Rule 17 showed, in the Court\u2019s view, that the grant is a discretionary remedy circumscribed by Rules 3 and 4.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-asfaq-the-counterpoise\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Asfaq_The_Counterpoise\"><\/span>Asfaq: The Counterpoise<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Narayan Sai must be read with Asfaq (2017) 15 SCC 55, decided on the appeal of a TADA convict (A.K. Sikri and Ashok Bhushan JJ., 11 Sep 2017; 2017 INSC 884). The Court refused to presume that a person convicted of a serious or heinous offence is, for that reason alone, a hardened criminal (para 22). The mere nature of the offence should not outrightly deny parole, and a person who has suffered long incarceration can be considered for temporary parole whatever the offence, though the authority may apply stricter standards on conduct, habitual offending and dangerousness. Recidivism is the real inquiry (paras 24\u201325): has correctional treatment failed, and does the convict show a tendency to relapse or a capacity to reform? The Court framed the competing interests in one line, observing that kindness to convicts must not result in \u201ccruelty to the society\u201d (para 21).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-atbir\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Atbir\"><\/span>Atbir<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Atbir v. State (NCT of Delhi), (2022) 13 SCC 96 (2022 INSC 492), the appellant\u2019s death sentence had been commuted by the President to life imprisonment for the remainder of his natural life without parole or remission. The High Court treated that as a bar to furlough. The Supreme Court reversed. Under Rule 1223(I) of the Delhi Prison Rules, 2018 the eligibility test is good conduct and good-conduct reports, not remissions; furlough is an incentive for good conduct; and a prisoner who maintains good conduct cannot be refused furlough as a matter of course, even though he will never earn remission. Whether furlough should in fact be granted (here, a convict of multiple murders, to whom Rule 1225 applies) is a separate question for the authorities, to be decided in accordance with law, and blanket denial was disapproved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Delhi High Court has applied Atbir since, for instance in Sanjay Kumar Valmiki v. State (NCT of Delhi), 2023 SCC OnLine Del 7335 (Amit Bansal J., 17 Nov 2023), granting furlough to a convict of rape and murder of a minor sentenced to life imprisonment without remission for a stated period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-co-accused-delhi-2026\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Co-Accused_Delhi_2026\"><\/span>Co-Accused: Delhi, 2026<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Sandeep @ Sandy v. State Govt. of NCT of Delhi, W.P. (Crl.) 1832\/2024 and 945\/2025, decided 29 Apr 2026 by a Division Bench of Navin Chawla and Ravinder Dudeja JJ., the petitioners challenged the Notes to Rules 1212 and 1224 of the Delhi Prison Rules, 2018, under which simultaneous parole or furlough to co-accused is \u201cordinarily\u201d not permissible. The Bench upheld the Notes but read them as restrictive rather than prohibitory. Because the word \u201cordinarily\u201d preserves discretion, the competent authority may grant simultaneous release where parole grounds are genuinely made out by each co-accused or where the number of co-accused makes staggered release impossible. It must weigh whether release would let them combine to commit fresh crime or threaten witnesses and victims, and consider whether conditions can avert that risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-uttar-pradesh-2026\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Uttar_Pradesh_2026\"><\/span>Uttar Pradesh, 2026<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Angad Yadav v. State of U.P., 2026 SCC OnLine All 824 (Rajesh Singh Chauhan and Rajeev Bharti JJ., 19 Mar 2026), the Allahabad High Court declined parole to a life convict under the 2007 Rules. Rule 3 contains no ground of arranging a child\u2019s marriage. The agricultural ground in Rule 3(d) applies only where no alternative arrangement is available, and the petitioner had three adult sons. Rule 1(4)(c) excludes the Rules where other criminal proceedings are pending, and the petitioner had nine. The Bench relied on the cautionary approach in Asfaq.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-the-consolidated-position\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Consolidated_Position\"><\/span>The Consolidated Position<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Taken together, these decisions yield a workable test. A refusal is lawful if it rests on relevant material (conduct, antecedents, the risk of flight, of intimidation of witnesses, of disorder), applies the governing rules and gives reasons. It is unlawful if it rests only on the label of the offence, applies a categorical bar that the rules do not contain, or ignores the reformative purpose altogether. Atbir and Asfaq mark the lower edge of that discretion; Narayan Sai and Darvakar mark the upper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-vi-when-the-order-is-made-it-must-be-obeyed-daudayal\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"VI_When_the_Order_Is_Made_It_Must_Be_Obeyed_Daudayal\"><\/span>VI. When the Order Is Made, It Must Be Obeyed: Daudayal<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-daudayal-the-supreme-court-s-latest-statement-on-parole\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Daudayal_The_Supreme_Courts_Latest_Statement_on_Parole\"><\/span>Daudayal: The Supreme Court&#8217;s Latest Statement on Parole<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Daudayal v. State of Rajasthan, 2026 INSC 599<\/strong> (Sanjay Karol and A.G. Masih JJ., 29 May 2026), is the most recent Supreme Court statement on parole. It is not, however, a decision on how parole time is computed, and it should not be cited for that proposition. It is a decision about what the State owes a prisoner once a court has ordered his release on parole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-background-and-facts-of-the-case\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Background_and_Facts_of_the_Case\"><\/span>Background and Facts of the Case<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The appellant, sentenced in 1988 to four years\u2019 rigorous imprisonment, was taken into custody on 23 December 2021 after his appeal failed in 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He sought permanent parole on 3 December 2023, having not availed the staged regular paroles contemplated by Rule 9 of the Rajasthan Prisoners Release on Parole Rules, 1958; the application was rejected on that ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A Single Judge of the Rajasthan High Court allowed his writ petition on 5 November 2024 and directed release on a personal bond and two sureties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The sureties were verified on 13 November 2024, yet he was not released until a Division Bench ordered it in a habeas corpus petition on 6 December 2024. The State explained that it had been considering an appeal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-the-supreme-court-s-decision-in-daudayal\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Supreme_Courts_Decision_in_Daudayal\"><\/span>The Supreme Court&#8217;s Decision in Daudayal<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Supreme Court held that, once parole has been granted and sureties produced to the satisfaction of the court, non-release is illegal detention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It applied the principle of <strong>\u201cobey first, appeal later\u201d<\/strong>: a judicial order operates until stayed, modified or set aside, and the mere contemplation or filing of an appeal does not suspend it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The State could not raise the legality of the parole order belatedly, having never challenged it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Habeas corpus lies against any form of detention, and a convict\u2019s status does not reduce his claim under Article 21.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Relying on Rudul Sah, Bhim Singh, Nilabati Behera and S. Nambi Narayanan, the Court awarded \u20b911 lakh as public-law compensation for the 24 days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The judgment also records an order in Sohan Singh @ Bablu v. State of M.P. (SLP (Crl.) 11244\/2025) awarding \u20b925 lakh for over-incarceration; this has been taken from Daudayal and not independently verified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-citations-and-legal-observations-in-daudayal\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Citations_and_Legal_Observations_in_Daudayal\"><\/span>Citations and Legal Observations in Daudayal<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the course of its discussion of the concept of parole, Daudayal quotes Poonam Lata (para 8), Mohinder Singh (para 18) and Sunil Fulchand Shah (para 24 and para 26). That is recital, not holding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-vii-a-practitioner-s-checklist\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"VII_A_Practitioners_Checklist\"><\/span>VII. A Practitioner\u2019s Checklist<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A parole or furlough matter requires careful examination of the governing legislation, applicable prison rules, eligibility conditions and judicial precedents. The following checklist identifies the principal issues a practitioner should examine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-1-identify-the-governing-legal-instrument\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Identify_the_Governing_Legal_Instrument\"><\/span>1. Identify the Governing Legal Instrument<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Identify the instrument. Is the release governed by a statute (Haryana, Delhi), by prison rules (Bombay, Rajasthan, Goa, U.P.), or by a court\u2019s own order? Obtain the text in force on the date of the application.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-2-classify-the-type-of-release\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Classify_the_Type_of_Release\"><\/span>2. Classify the Type of Release<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Classify the release. Emergency or custody parole, regular parole, permanent parole (Rajasthan\u2019s staged ladder), furlough, or interim bail by a court. Each carries different eligibility and computation consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-3-examine-the-computation-clause-first\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Examine_the_Computation_Clause_First\"><\/span>3. Examine the Computation Clause First<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Read the computation clause first. Delhi Rules 1198 and 1199, Haryana ss. 3(3) and 4(3), Goa Rule 335, Bombay Rule 20: the rule decides the clock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If the scheme and the order are silent, argue the Sunil Fulchand Shah \/ Avtar Singh default (Part IV.4).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-4-examine-premature-release-arithmetic\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Examine_Premature-Release_Arithmetic\"><\/span>4. Examine Premature-Release Arithmetic<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Premature-release arithmetic. Where release depends on a fixed term of \u201cactual\u201d imprisonment, check whether the rules deduct parole time (Rohan Dhungat; Anil Kumar), and whether COVID-era emergency parole is excluded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-5-check-the-disqualifiers\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Check_the_Disqualifiers\"><\/span>5. Check the Disqualifiers<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Check the disqualifiers. Offence-based bars (for example Delhi Rules 1211 and 1224), pending-case bars (U.P. Rule 1(4)(c)), and the minimum period served.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-6-build-a-supporting-record\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"6_Build_a_Supporting_Record\"><\/span>6. Build a Supporting Record<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Build the record. Jail conduct reports, antecedents, family and community ties, the absence of any history of absconding, and a concrete plan of release conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-7-answer-an-offence-based-refusal\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"7_Answer_an_Offence-Based_Refusal\"><\/span>7. Answer an Offence-Based Refusal<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Answer an offence-based refusal with Asfaq para 22, and Atbir for blanket denial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Concede that stricter scrutiny applies to serious offences, then show why this applicant passes it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-8-insist-on-reasoned-orders\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"8_Insist_on_Reasoned_Orders\"><\/span>8. Insist on Reasoned Orders<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Insist on reasons. A non-speaking rejection is vulnerable under Asfaq, Atbir and, for remission, In Re: Policy Strategy for Grant of Bail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-9-address-restrictions-relating-to-co-accused\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"9_Address_Restrictions_Relating_to_Co-Accused\"><\/span>9. Address Restrictions Relating to Co-Accused<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Co-accused. Expect the authority to cite simultaneous-release restrictions; answer with Sandeep @ Sandy (restrictive, not prohibitory) and propose conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-10-enforce-the-release-order\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"10_Enforce_the_Release_Order\"><\/span>10. Enforce the Release Order<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Enforcement. Once an order is made, press for immediate compliance; delay after verification of sureties exposes the State to habeas relief and compensation (Daudayal).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-viii-conclusion\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"VIII_Conclusion\"><\/span>VIII. Conclusion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-the-legal-distinction-between-parole-and-furlough\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Legal_Distinction_Between_Parole_and_Furlough\"><\/span>The Legal Distinction Between Parole and Furlough<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Parole is custody in a different mode; furlough is service of the sentence in another. The distinction is real, but it is not mechanical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It works through the text of the governing scheme, the terms of the release order and, in their silence, a default fixed by the Constitution Bench in 2000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-three-important-refinements-from-recent-decisions\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Three_Important_Refinements_from_Recent_Decisions\"><\/span>Three Important Refinements from Recent Decisions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The decisions of the last five years add three refinements:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A State may refuse furlough on public-interest grounds without any vested right being infringed (Narayan Sai).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It may not refuse it by blanket rule or by the label of the offence alone (Atbir; Asfaq).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Once a court has ordered parole the State must obey before it appeals (Daudayal).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-the-constitutional-principle-governing-parole\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Constitutional_Principle_Governing_Parole\"><\/span>The Constitutional Principle Governing Parole<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The clock of the sentence keeps running only to the extent the law says it does; the Constitution keeps running regardless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-citation-table-important-judicial-decisions-on-parole-and-furlough\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Citation_Table_Important_Judicial_Decisions_on_Parole_and_Furlough\"><\/span>Citation Table: Important Judicial Decisions on Parole and Furlough<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The following citation table brings together the judicial authorities discussed in this article, including their reported citations, dates, judicial composition and relevant legal propositions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Case Name<\/th><th>Citation and Date<\/th><th>Judges<\/th><th>Relevant Legal Proposition<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>State of Haryana v. Mohinder Singh<\/td><td>(2000) 3 SCC 394; Crl. A. 141\/2000; 7.2.2000<\/td><td>Saghir Ahmad and Wadhwa JJ.<\/td><td>Remission circular under s. 432 CrPC; para 18 on parole\/furlough<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Sunil Fulchand Shah v. Union of India<\/td><td>(2000) 3 SCC 409; 2000 INSC 74; 16.2.2000<\/td><td>Constitution Bench<\/td><td>COFEPOSA; paras 24\u201326, 30, 33<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Dadu @ Tulsidas v. State of Maharashtra<\/td><td>(2000) 8 SCC 437; 12.10.2000<\/td><td>Thomas, Sethi, Variava JJ.<\/td><td>Parole is not suspension of sentence; s. 32A NDPS does not bar parole<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Avtar Singh v. State of Haryana<\/td><td>(2002) 3 SCC 18; 19.2.2002<\/td><td>Pattanaik, Phukan, Variava JJ.<\/td><td><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>State of Maharashtra v. Suresh Pandurang Darvakar<\/td><td>(2006) 4 SCC 776<\/td><td><\/td><td>Bombay Rules; Rules 3, 4, 6, 17, 19, 20<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Asfaq v. State of Rajasthan<\/td><td>(2017) 15 SCC 55; 2017 INSC 884; 2017 SCC OnLine SC 1092; 11.9.2017<\/td><td>Sikri and Bhushan JJ.<\/td><td>Paras 11\u201325. Figures in para 16 are Rajasthan-specific<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>State of Gujarat v. Narayan @ Narayan Sai<\/td><td>(2021) 20 SCC 304; 2021 SCC OnLine SC 949; 20.10.2021<\/td><td>Chandrachud and Nagarathna JJ.<\/td><td><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Atbir v. State (NCT of Delhi)<\/td><td>(2022) 13 SCC 96; 2022 INSC 492; 2022 SCC OnLine SC 527; Crl. A. 714\/2022; 29.4.2022<\/td><td>Maheshwari and Bose JJ.<\/td><td>Furlough despite life without remission<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Rohan Dhungat v. State of Goa<\/td><td>2023 INSC 16; 2023 SCC OnLine SC 16; [2023] 1 SCR 1029; 5.1.2023<\/td><td><\/td><td>Goa Rule 335; s. 55 Prisons Act argument rejected.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Anil Kumar v. State of Haryana<\/td><td>W.P. (Crl.) 46\/2022; 24.3.2023; 2023 INSC 296<\/td><td><\/td><td>Neutral citation taken from a secondary source; confirm<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Daudayal v. State of Rajasthan<\/td><td>2026 INSC 599; 29.5.2026<\/td><td>Karol and Masih JJ.<\/td><td>Obey first, appeal later; illegal detention and public-law compensation following non-compliance with a parole order.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Poonam Lata v. M.L. Wadhawan<\/td><td>(1987) 3 SCC 347<\/td><td><\/td><td><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Mohammad Giasuddin v. State of A.P.<\/td><td>(1977) 3 SCC 287; 6.5.1977<\/td><td>Krishna Iyer and Jaswant Singh JJ.<\/td><td>Reformative sentencing<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Sunil Batra (2); Charles Sobraj; Maneka Gandhi<\/td><td>(1980) 3 SCC 488; (1978) 4 SCC 104; (1978) 1 SCC 248<\/td><td><\/td><td>Verified as quoted in Asfaq para 23<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>In Re: Policy Strategy for Grant of Bail<\/td><td>2025 INSC 239; 18.2.2025<\/td><td>Oka and Bhuyan JJ.<\/td><td>s. 432 CrPC = s. 473 BNSS; s. 433A = s. 475<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Sandeep @ Sandy v. State Govt. of NCT of Delhi<\/td><td>W.P. (Crl.) 1832\/2024 and 945\/2025; Del HC (DB); 29.4.2026<\/td><td><\/td><td><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Sanjay Kumar Valmiki v. State (NCT of Delhi)<\/td><td>2023 SCC OnLine Del 7335; 17.11.2023<\/td><td><\/td><td>Applies Atbir<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Angad Yadav v. State of U.P.<\/td><td>2026 SCC OnLine All 824; 19.3.2026<\/td><td>Chauhan and Bharti JJ.<\/td><td>U.P. 2007 Rules<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Dadu @ Tulsidas Manpher Patel v. State of Maharashtra<\/td><td>2002 Cri LJ 3850 (Bom); 2001 (5) Bom CR 264; 1.11.2001<\/td><td><\/td><td>Counted parole under Bombay Rule 20; pre-dates Rohan Dhungat<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Written By: Inder Chand Jain<\/strong><br>Ph no: 8279945021, Email: inderjain2007@rediffmail.com<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-related-links yoast-seo-related-links\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/differences-between-bail-parole-and-furlough-in-criminal-law\/\">Differences Between Bail, Parole, and Furlough in Criminal Law<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/the-road-from-prison-to-freedom-different-forms-of-prisoner-release-in-india\/\">The Road from Prison to Freedom: Different Forms of Prisoner Release in India<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/daudayal-v-state-of-rajasthan-2026-supreme-court-awards-%e2%82%b911-lakh-compensation-for-illegal-detention-after-parole-release-order\/\">Daudayal v. State of Rajasthan (2026): Supreme Court Awards \u20b911 Lakh Compensation for Illegal Detention After Parole Release Order<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/structural-legal-reforms-for-the-grant-of-temporary-release-to-undertrial-prisoners\/\">Structural Legal Reforms for the Grant of Temporary Release to Undertrial Prisoners<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/illegal-detention-by-police-in-india-habeas-corpus-compensation-legal-remedies-in-2026\/\">Illegal Detention by Police in India: Habeas Corpus, Compensation &amp; Legal Remedies in 2026<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Parole vs Furlough in India: Does Time Outside Prison Count as Sentence Served? A doctrinal analysis from State of Haryana v. Mohinder Singh (2000) to Daudayal v. State of Rajasthan (2026) Abstract Parole and furlough are spoken of in one breath, yet the Supreme Court has consistently refused to treat them as interchangeable. This article<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":73,"featured_media":35353,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"two_page_speed":[],"_jetpack_hide_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_featured_image_duplicate_dismissed":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[4798,28],"class_list":["post-35196","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-criminal-law","tag-criminal-law","tag-top-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.8 (Yoast SEO v28.8) - 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