New Delhi: Underlining that the grant of furlough is not an absolute legal right of the prisoner, the Delhi High Court Friday rejected a challenge to an order passed by the Director General, Prisons, in July, this year, denying furlough to a convict embroiled in a dowry death and cruelty case, on grounds that he was not eligible for it.

Furlough refers to the conditional release of a prisoner but only in cases of long term imprisonment, the division or two-judge bench noted while adding that it also differs from the closely related concept of “parole” which is conditional release but only in cases of short term imprisonment. The court also noted that while a specific reason is required for granting a prisoner parole, no such reason is required for furlough, which is in fact meant to brea

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