CHENNAI: "Man is a social animal.... conjugal visits lead to strong family bonds and keep the
family functional rather than becoming dysfunctional due to prolonged isolation and lack of sexual contact."
Quoting this portion of a judgement delivered by the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court earlier, a division bench of Justices C T Selvam and S Ramathilagam here has granted parole for two weeks to
a life convict lodged in the central prison in Cuddalore to exercise his conjugal rights.
The bench was passing orders on the habeas corpus petition from a woman praying for a grant of parole for two weeks to her husband under conjugal rights.
On an earlier occasion, the convict was granted parole for one week from April 29 this year for the same purpose.
The woman applied again to the prison authorities on October 1, seeking parole for the fulfilment of conjugal rights for two months. But the authorities had rejected her plea.
Opposing grant of the relief, the Additional Public Prosecutor submitted that as the petitioner's husband is also an undertrial prisoner in two other cases - one pending before the III Additional District and Sessions Court in Tirunelveli and the other before the Principal District and Sessions Court in Pudukkottai - he is not eligible for parole under Sec. 35 of the TN Suspension of Sentence Rules.