KOCHI: The High Court recently granted permission to two murder convicts, Pattakka Suresh Babu and V Vinoyi, currently serving life sentences, to pursue a three-year LLB course from the 2023-24 academic year through online mode. Suresh, presently undergoing a sentence in the Open Prison and Correctional Home, Cheemeni, Kannur, will be studying at KMCT Law College, Kuttipuram. Vinoyi, currently in Central Prison, Kannur, will study at Sree Narayana Law College, Poothotta, Ernakulam.
The court instructed the jail superintendents of both facilities and principals of the respective colleges to collaborate and facilitate the convicts’ participation in online classes. If their physical presence is mandatory for activities such as moot courts, seminars or others, the jail superintendent is directed to grant them temporary release on executing a bond of Rs 1 lakh with two solvent sureties.
Stressing on the importance of preserving the basic human rights and dignity of prisoners, the court emphasised that education is a fundamental human right that contributes to the prisoners’ sense of belonging to the larger community. Moreover, it serves the purposes of reformation and rehabilitation, as well as deterrence.
The court acknowledged that prison education can foster hope and aspiration and utilise the detainees’ time in custody, ultimately leading them towards a better life post-release. Therefore, ensuring prisoners’ access to education is crucial for achieving the reformatory and rehabilitative objectives of imprisonment.
Despite the universities’ stance, citing the UGC (Open and Distant Learning Programmes and Online Programmes) Regulation, 2020, which prohibits attending LLB course online, the court made an exception in this case. Nandagopal S Kurup and R Anil appeared for the petitioners.