After 15 yrs in jail, couple serving life for murder gets parole for IVF

AHMEDABAD: Fifteen years of separation. A shared sentence. Now, a Gujarat HC order offered a rare pause to a couple convicted of murdering the woman's former boyfriend in 2010 - a chance to create life, even while serving time for taking one.

Jayendra Damor and Sejal Bariya have been granted extended parole to undergo in-vitro fertilisation treatment, marking a rare judicial allowance for imprisoned convicts seeking parenthood. Damor and Bariya, both serving life terms in separate prisons for the killing of Pinakin Patel, are out on parole until Nov 2, following the order that described the plea as deserving of "sympathetic consideration".

The two were convicted by a Godhra district court in 2013 for conspiring to lure Patel - who allegedly continued to harass Bariya after their breakup - to a guesthouse in Pavagadh and killing him. At the time, Bariya was a PTC college student in Rajkot and in a relationship with Damor. Now in their late thirties, the couple told the court they wished to have a child through IVF. Bariya was first released on parole in 2023 for infertility treatment and began consulting a gynaecologist in Dahod. Based on medical reports, Damor sought parole for himself, citing his need to participate.

On Oct 16, HC granted Damor temporary release to accompany Bariya. When the couple appeared before it again on Oct 28, Justice HD Suthar agreed to extend the parole period "Having regard to the facts and circumstances of the present case and for the reasons stated in the application, the same is partly allowed and the parole leave period granted earlier is extended up to Nov 2.on the same terms and conditions," the court said. The bench, however, drew a clear line on leniency. "The applicant shall surrender before the concerned jail authority immediately after the aforesaid period is over," it said.