Implement e-module for early release of prisoners, Madras High Court directed by Tamil Nadu Government
The court ordered that the module prepared by the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) could be first implemented on a pilot basis in the Central Jail at Puzhal near Chennai. File | Photo credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam
The Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu government to begin the process of implementing the E-Prisons Early Release Processing Module, a digital system aimed at automating and expediting pardons and early releases of eligible prisoners housed in various prisons across the state.
A division bench of Justices Anita Sumanth and Sunder Mohan ordered that the module, prepared by the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) and launched recently by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, could first be implemented on a pilot basis in the Central Jail at Puzhal near Chennai.
The judges directed the Supreme Court Registrar (Information Technology-cum-Statistics) to convene a meeting of all stakeholders, including officials of the Director General of Prisons, for proper implementation of the software by deploying the necessary infrastructure and manpower.
The secretary must convene a meeting within two weeks and submit a compliance report to the court within a week confirming readiness to implement the module in Puzhal Central Jail so that its effectiveness can be studied before extending the facility to all other jails, the judges said.
The directions were issued while allowing the early release plea of A. Dhanapal, who was part of an armed mob that hurled country bombs at a police vehicle in Omaluru in 1997 and murdered five remand prisoners as they were being escorted back to jail after being produced before a magistrate.
The judges agreed with the convict’s lawyer M Radhakrishnan, assisted by M Mohammed Safiulla, that he had completed more than 21 years of imprisonment and was therefore fully eligible to be considered for early release. They directed the Home Secretary to issue relevant orders within four weeks based on the convict’s application.
While writing the verdict, Justice Sumanth pointed out that NALSA had recently developed a software called “E-Prisons Early Release Processing Module” based on the orders passed by the Supreme Court in a case related to Uttar Pradesh and was being implemented on a pilot basis in the state.
The main feature of the module was that it helps in identifying prisoners eligible for early release and starts the process of their release four months in advance. It ensures that inmates and their relatives receive routine updates regarding the process through SMS and WhatsApp.
The module also discourages the physical movement of files and instead encourages the digital movement of those files in an effort to create a paperless system. As the Supreme Court impressed upon the need for a similar initiative in other states as well, the Madras High Court ordered its implementation in Tamil Nadu as well.
Published – 03 Jun 2026 17:50 IST