Longest serving woman prisoner seeks deliverance

Chennai: The release petition of Pakka alias Vijaya, who is perhaps the longest serving woman prisoner in the country, will come up before the Madras high court on Friday.

This would be the 30th hearing of the petition moved by rights lawyer, P Pugalendhi in 2011 pleading that she may be released from her Vellore prison cell as she was mute and mentally challenged, and being held in violation of the government’s own rules governing prisoners.

“My petition has been adjourned 30 times so far. I have not lost hope that I would be able to get justice for this miserable woman”, Pugalenthi told DC.

Pakka, now in her 50s, and her husband Subramani were jailed for life by the Coimbatore principal sessions court in 1991 finding them guilty of killing a man to rob him of Rs 500.

The couple lacked the resources to appeal to higher courts and so resigned themselves to their fate in prison—she in the women’s jail at Vellore and the husband in the men’s prison close by.

The two are allowed to meet every alternate Saturday for 30 minutes when Pakka would pour out her woes to her husband in sign language as she had lost her speech about five years ago following a badly treated ailment. At times, the couple would also rewind to their happier times.

Pakka had fallen in love with Subramani, a street performer in Coimbatore, and married him despite opposition from her family.

She learnt play enacting from him and together, they made their living through street theatre. It was just like a Kollywood romance until one fateful night, the script went sour.

“According to Subramani, they were sleeping on the pavement when a man tried to molest Pakka and she screamed. He went to her rescue and a fight ensued. He picked up a stone and hit the stranger, who died. However, the police registered a murder charge and arrested both of them, alleging they killed for the Rs.500 that the victim had with him”, said Pugalenthi.

Sadly, the two were charged under not only section 302 IPC (murder) but also section 392 read with 397 (which deal with harming with weapon with intent to rob).

While prisoners sentenced for murder could come out of jail after some years on premature release, those convicted under 392-397 do not qualify for such remission of prison term.

“Our state government has released more than 2,000 lifers in the last ten years, but Pakka and Subramani continue to languish in their cells”, said the rights lawyer.

The government in its counter-affidavit against his release petition in 2011 had admitted that Pakka was not eating and sleeping normally, and not attending to personal hygiene even.

“She is under treatment in the prison hospital as inpatient for secondary depression and psychosis”, said the government affidavit, even while opposing her release because of the IPC sections slapped on the couple.

“We could get her admitted in a home and attempt treatment, if she gets released”, said the kind lawyer.