In Brief
Atbir, convicted of three murders and originally sentenced to death, had his sentence commuted to life imprisonment by presidential order in 2012, with the condition that he remain in prison for his entire natural life without parole or remission. He applied for furlough (temporary release) under the Delhi Prison Rules 2018, which was rejected on the ground that furlough is available only to those eligible for remission. The High Court upheld this rejection. The Supreme Court allowed his appeal, holding that furlough is a distinct incentive for good conduct and is not dependent on remission eligibility. Since the period of furlough counts towards the sentence, denying it as a blanket consequence of the "no remission" condition contradicts the rehabilitative philosophy. The Court remitted the case for reconsideration by the prison authorities.
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