Panaji, Aug 29 (IANS): The Bombay High Court's Panaji bench on Wednesday passed strictures against an Inspector General of Prisons (IGP) for "mechanically rejecting" parole applications moved by inmates of various prisons in the coastal state.

In course of hearing an appeal filed against the rejection of a parole application by the IGP, a bench of Justice M.S. Sonak and Justice Nutan Sardessai observed that the office of the IGP is "shirking responsibility by virtually abdicating his discretion to the dictates of the Superintendent of Police".

"Even the reports of the SP are issued in mechanical manner, which again, are prima facie indicative of shirking of responsibility," they said.

The strictures comes on the heels of a string of parole appeal applications filed by inmates, which heard by the Goa Bench over the last few weeks, after the state IGP rejected them.

The bench also directed the IGP Rajendra Mirajkar to file a complete list of parole applications before it, along with the official notings.