The Kerala High Court has sought a formal response from the State Government while hearing a petition filed by the mother of K. Salma Jennath (the petitioner) involving the case of her son, Kodi Suni (also known as N. P. Sunil Kumar), who is serving life imprisonment for the murder of T. P. Chandrasekharan. The petition requests the convict’s transfer from Central Prison & Correctional Home, Thavanur (Malappuram) to Central Prison & Correctional Home, Kannur, citing humanitarian grounds.
In her plea, the mother states that she resides in Kannur and has not seen her son for over thirteen years. She highlights her advanced age and health issues—including arthritis and asthma—and contends that the long journey to Thavanur prevents her from meeting him. She notes that although the convict was granted parole on two occasions in 2024 and 2025, those were subject to restrictions preventing movement into Kannur and Kozhikode districts, thereby thwarting her ability to meet her son.
The petition further points out that although the convict was detained at Thavanur since November 2023, earlier in the year he had been temporarily held in Kannur Central Prison on remand in connection with another case, and was once granted a 15-day parole. That parole was cut short and revoked on the ground of an alleged parole-condition breach—specifically, staying at an address other than the one declared, and the alleged violation of a restriction on movement to certain districts. The subsequent disciplinary order led to his transfer back to Thavanur. Despite representing to the Director-General of Prisons and Correctional Services for a transfer, the request was rejected on the basis of the disciplinary action.
The court, presided over by Kauser Edappagath J., directed the Government Pleader to obtain instructions on the petition and posted the matter for further hearing. The bench emphasised the reconciliation of custodial discipline with humanitarian considerations and noted the importance of facilitating familial access in light of the mother’s infirmities.
The case raises critical questions about the balance between prison administrative discipline and the right of prisoners to maintain meaningful family ties, particularly when the prisoner’s family faces substantial logistical or health barriers. The High Court’s request for the State’s stand signals its willingness to examine whether a transfer in the interest of compassion may be accommodated within the framework of prison rules and security considerations.
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