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"....9. Sections 392 to 402 occur in Chapter XVII of the Indian Penal Code and relate to offences of robbery and dacoity. The question is : Is there any rational basis for selecting this class of offences for being included in the list of the offences for which convicts should not be enlarged on furlough? Now, in robbery an element of violence is present along with theft or extortion. Violence is either actually used or attempted to be used either for carrying away of the property or for making the victim part with the property. And when five or more persons conjointly commit or attempt to commit robbery, the offence falls within the description of dacoity. It is obvious that in dacoity five or more persons come together with the avowed object of obtaining property unlawfully by resort to violent means. When so many persons enter upon a life of crime and form a group which is likely to become an organized gang. It is clear that there is great danger in letting them loose. In order to maintain themselves they take to robbery in an organized fashion and it tends to become a habit or a way of life from which it is difficult to make a break. If one who has been found guilty of such an offence is released on furlough, there is no guarantee that he will not indulge in similar activity as soon as he is let large. None of the twin objects of punishment of imprisonment would then be served. Neither would he be reformed nor would the society remain immunized from his criminal activity for the specified period. It would be dangerous to the society to release him on furlough merely out of considerations of penal reform and humane treatment. As observed earlier, consideration of sympathy for him cannot be permitted to over-shadow the consideration regarding security of the society. Similarly, with regard to the lesser offence of robbery, it would be extremely hazardous to let the prisoner loose before the expiry of the term of imprisonment. It would be hazardous to do so because when one abandons honest labour for the career of theft or intimidations coupled with violence (which brings easy money though at some risk) it tends to become a way of lift and the temptation is too great to resist when the prisoner is at large. The offences of robbery and dacoity, therefore, fall within a class by themselves. The classification is based on the danger inherent in releasing on furlough those who are proved to have unhesitatingly committed crimes against person as well as property and such crimes by their very nature are habit-forming and repetitive. It is, therefore, not possible to say that the classification is irrelevant or that it has no nexus with the objective sought to be achieved. It will be recalled that the object is two-fold : (1) to enable the convict to break the reckless of his habit and (2) to immunize the society at least for a specified period. It was, however, argued by counsel that if a more serious crime like murder was not included in the list, there was no rational basis for including the offences relating to robbery and dacoity within the fold. Here again, the argument ignores the fact that by and large an offence of murder is committed by a person under some real or imagined provocation or in a moment of passion and the perpetrator of the crime usually has a motive or animus against a particular individual or individuals and not against the society at large. There is, therefore, less danger of his committing a similar crime when he is on leave on furlough. Robbery and dacoity are offences which are directed against the entire society at large and the entire society is exposed to the danger emanating from them. In case of murder only that person against whom the perpetrator has a motive or animus alone is exposed to danger from him and not others. So far as robbery and dacoity are concerned, any victim is a good victim and the entire society is exposed to the risk. It is, therefore, clear that the offences of robbery and dacoity fall in a different category. Whether or not the offence is more serious is not the relevant consideration for withholding furlough. The relevant consideration is whether his release will hamper his reform or expose the society to the very danger to shield from which the criminal is imprisoned. Therefore, the fact that murder may be, by and large, considered to be a more serious crime is not a circumstance which in any way impairs the reasoning underlying the selection of the offences falling under the specified class viz., the offences relating to robbery and dacoity. Again, the mere fact that some other offences also deserve to be included in the list of offences in respect of which furlough should not be granted (even if the argument is valid) is not a good ground for not including the offences or robbery and dacoity. By experimentation, and by gaining experience the list may be enlarged or modified from time to time. A classification which is otherwise rational and purposeful and bears a nexus with the underlying object of the legislation cannot be branded as obnoxious merely because another class also ought to be brought within the sweep of the legislation. It is not true that to say that all evils must be remethed by the same legislation in order to be immune from the charge of discrimination. It is not a valid argument that the legislature can legislate in respect of all evils or none. Legislation can be implemented by stages. The mere circumstance, that other class of offences may also be included within the list will not render the class which is actually included devoid of rational basis. Under the circumstance, it is not possible to uphold the contention that Rule 4(2) is discriminatory in character and is violative of Article 14 of the Constitution of India. We are of the opinion that the classification has a rational basis and has a distinct nexus with the underlying object of the legislation and that it does not introduce any element of hostile discrimination."