Criminal Misc. No.M-17361 of 2008 -1- **** IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH Criminal Misc. No.M-17361 of 2008 Date of decision : 21.10.2008 Ajit Singh .....Petitioner Versus State of Haryana and others ...Respondents CORAM : HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S. D. ANAND Present: Mr.A.S.Trikha, Advocate for the petitioner. Mr. S.S.Mor, Senior Deputy Advocate General, Haryana for respondent-State. S. D. ANAND, J. The parole plea of the petitioner-prisoner was declined by the competent authority on the basis of a report made by the District Magistrate, Gurgaon, to the effect that the arrival of the petitioner-prisoner in the village on his release on parole was likely to lead to breach of peace. The District Magistrate did not, however, indicate what exactly persuaded him to take that view. Though the grant of parole is not a right vested in a prisoner, it also cannot be said that a parole plea can be declined on the basis of a vague apprehension indicated by the District Magistrate. The principle of transparency validates the view that the authority competent to consider the request of a prisoner under incarceration must announce to the applicant the reasons for disallowance thereof. The impugned order deserves invalidation as it fails the test of being self-contained and transparent. Criminal Misc. No.M-17361 of 2008 -2- **** The petition shall stand allowed accordingly. The impugned order is set aside. The competent authority is directed to pass an order afresh within fifteen days from today in the light of the above observations made by this Court. It will be for the State counsel to communicate the order to the competent authority. Copy of the order be given to the learned State counsel under the signatures of the Court Secretary. October 21, 2008 (S.D. ANAND) Pka JUDGE