Delhi High Court
W.P.(CRL)/3505/2026 of DAL CHAND Vs STATE (NCT OF DELHI) & ANR. on 5 November 2026
3505/2026 Page 1 of 4 $~109 * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI % # CNR No.DLHC010539512026 Date of Decision : 05.11.2026 + W.P.(CRL) 3505/2026, CRL.M.A. 35113/2026, CRL.M.A. 35114/2026 DAL CHAND .....Petitioner Through: Ms. Sowjhanya Shankaran, Mr. Siddharth Satija, Ms. Hrutika Pandey,
$~109
*
IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI
%
CNR No.DLHC010539512026
Date of Decision : 05.11.2026
+
W.P.(CRL)
3505/2026,
CRL.M.A.
35113/2026,
CRL.M.A.
35114/2026
DAL CHAND
.....Petitioner
Through:
Ms.
Sowjhanya
Shankaran,
Mr.
Siddharth Satija, Ms. Hrutika Pandey,
Mr. Arjun Chopra, Ms. Ragini
Nagpal, Mr. Rahul, Ms. Charu Sinha,
Mr. Akash Sachan, Ms. Anuka
Bachawat, Ms. Akanksha Bisht and
Mr. Raghav Gupta, Advocates.
versus
STATE (NCT OF DELHI) & ANR.
.....Respondents
Through:
Mr. Rahul Tyagi, ASC (Criminal)
along with Mr. Sangeet Sibon, Adv.
CORAM:
HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SACHIN DATTA
SACHIN DATTA, J. (ORAL)
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1. The petitioner is serving a sentence of rigorous imprisonment for life after being convicted under Section 364-A read with Section 120-B of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (‘IPC’) in FIR No. 179/2011, registered at P.S. Adarsh Nagar, Delhi vide judgment dated 8.07.2013 passed by the Additional Sessions Judge, Rohini Courts, Delhi and sentenced vide order dated 16.07.2013. His Appeal being Crl. A. 1369/2013 was dismissed by this Court on 05.04.2018 and SLP (Crl.) No. 197/2021 was dismissed by the Supreme Court on 07.01.2021. The Petitioner has already undergone about fifteen years of actual imprisonment, besides earning remission of 4 years and 27 days.
2. The petitioner was granted three weeks furlough, being the first spell of the current conviction year, by the respondent no.2 by order dated 27.08.2026. Pursuant to the same, he was released on 21.10.2026 and is due to surrender on 12.11.2026.
3. By way of the present petition, the petitioner seeks an extension of the furlough on the ground that his family house is unsafe and unfit for habitation and needs urgent repairs. His application dated 30.10.2026 for extension/further spell of furlough is pending before the respondent no.2.
4. I have given my thoughtful consideration to the matter.
5. The legal position is well settled that the furlough is a conditional short release which enables the prisoners to maintain family and social ties. Reference may be made to the observations of the Supreme Court in Asfaq vs State of Rajasthan (2017) 5 SCC 55, which are reproduced as under:- “18. The provisions of parole and furlough, thus, provide for a humanistic approach towards those lodged in jails. Main purpose of such provisions is to afford to them an opportunity to solve their personal and family problems and to enable them to maintain their links with society.
6. It is noticed that the petitioner has been released on at least 14
Even citizens of this country have a vested interest in preparing offenders for successful re-entry into society. Those who leave prison without strong networks of support, without employment prospects, without a fundamental knowledge of the communities to which they will return, and without resources, stand a significantly higher chance of failure. When offenders revert to criminal activity upon release, they frequently do so because they lack hope of merging into society as accepted citizens. Furloughs or parole can help prepare offenders for success.”
occasions on parole or furlough and is stated to have surrendered on the due date after every release. No misconduct was reported during any of these releases.
7. Further, the respondent no.2 has itself found the petitioner fit for furlough vide the order dated 27.08.2026, which has been placed on record as Annexure P-1 to the present petition.
8. Moreover, the ground urged appears to be a genuine one inasmuch as the family house of the petitioner is stated to be unsafe and needs repair. The petitioner’s wife along with his aged parents and younger siblings, live in the same house. The family is stated to have no alternative living accommodation.
9. This Court has taken the view that in appropriate cases, it is open of this Court to extend the period of furlough. Reference in this regard may be made to the judgments of this Court in Jasbir Kaur v. State of NCT of Delhi, W.P. (CRL) 1793/2026 (decided on 19.06.2026), Ramesh Dudhiya v. State (NCT of Delhi),W.P. (CRL) 2916/2026 (decided on 18.09.2026), and Pradeep Kumar@ Sonu v. State of NCT of Delhi, W.P. (CRL) 2103/2026 (decided on 30.07.2026)
10. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that extension of furlough be adjusted against his entitlement for the current conviction year.
11. Accordingly, the present petition is allowed; the furlough of the petitioner is extended by two weeks. He shall surrender before the concerned Jail Superintendent on 26.11.2026. The extended period of furlough shall be adjusted against the petitioner’s furlough entitlement for the current conviction year. All conditions of the order dated 27.08.2026 shall continue to operate during the extended period of furlough.
12. A copy of this order be forwarded to the Superintendent, Central Jail No. 2, Tihar for information and compliance.
13. The petition and the pending applications stand disposed of in the above terms.
SACHIN DATTA, J NOVEMBER 5, 2026/r, nb