In a rare moment where law met emotion, the Kerala High Court opened its doors to compassion, granting a five-day emergency leave to a convict so he could witness his daughter’s enrolment as an advocate.
Justice PV Kunhikrishnan, while allowing the plea, remarked that even if society saw the man as a criminal, to his daughter, he would always remain a hero. The judge said the court could not turn away from the heartfelt wish of a young woman who dreamt of stepping into the legal world with her father present beside her — even if only briefly, from the shadows of a prison term.
The convict, currently held at Tavanur’s Central Prison & Correctional Home, had sought temporary release from October 10 to 14 to attend the ceremony. Prison authorities had earlier turned down his request, prompting him to approach the High Court.
The prosecution argued that emergency leave should not be extended for every personal occasion, cautioning against diluting the rule’s intent. But the bench found this case to be anything but ordinary.
“This is not a routine plea,” the court observed. “A daughter’s first step into the profession of law is an emotional milestone. Let her father, despite his past, be there to witness it.”
While allowing the leave, the Court made it clear that the decision was based on exceptional circumstances and should not be treated as a precedent.
With the order, the courtroom — often a place of judgment — briefly became a space of grace, reminding that even within the walls of justice, there is room for humanity.
