Lok Sabha Question No. 3447 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-12-06
Subject: Release of Undertrial Prisoners
Ministry: HOME AFFAIRS
Asked by: ANIRUDHAN SAMPATH, PRABHAS KUMAR SINGH, ASADUDDIN OWAISI, FAIZAL P.P. MOHAMMED, M. CHANDRAKASI, HARISHCHANDRA DEORAM CHAVAN, LAXMAN GILUWA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3447

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 6 TH  DECEMBER, 2016/ AGRAHAYANA 15, 1938 (SAKA)

## RELEASE OF UNDERTRIAL PRISONERS

3447.

DR. A. SAMPATH:

DR. PRABHAS KUMAR SINGH:

SHRI ASADUDDIN OWAISI:

MOHAMMED FAIZAL:

SHRI M. CHANDRAKASI:

SHRI HARISHCHANDRA CHAVAN:

SHRI LAXMAN GILUWA:

## Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Supreme Court has recently set a deadline for the release of undertrial prisoners who have completed half of the maximum term;
- (b)  if  so,  the  number  of  such  prisoners  released  so  far  by  the  Union Government and the State Governments, State-wise;
- (c)  whether  it  is  a  fact  that  Union  Government  has  no  data  about  such inmates;
- (d) if so, the reasons therefor;
- (e)  whether  the  Union  Government  has  made  use  of  e-Prison  software while  the  States  have  no  such  mechanism  for  keeping  track  on  the number of undertrial;
- (f)  if  so,  the  steps  taken  or  being  taken  by  the  Union  Government  in consultation with the States to commission e-Prison software for better coordination; and

## L.S.US.Q.NO.3447 FOR 06.11.2016

(g) whether there is no relaxation for grant of bail to undertrial prisoners who could not pay the bail amount and if so, the details thereof along with the steps taken in this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI HANSRAJ GANGARAM AHIR)

(a): In  pursuance of the Supreme Court's directions dated 7.09.2014 in Bhim Singh Vs. UoI and others in WP (Crl.) No. 310/2005, the Government of India issued an advisory to the Home Department & DG (Prisons) of all States/UTs on 27.9.2014 to comply with the orders of the Supreme Court. The advisory is available on the Link: http://mha.nic.in /sites /upload\_fiels /mha files/ Guidelines ForRreckoningHalfLife\_161014pdf.

(b) to (d): As  per  information  compiled  by  the  National  Crime  Records Bureau from States/UTs at the end 2015,  the number undertrial prisoners released is given in Annex.

(e) to (f): The  e-Prisons  Project  is  part  of  Integrated  Criminal  Justice System  (ICJS)  Project  electronically  linking  the  three  systems  namely, Courts, Police Stations and Prisons.

## L.S.US.Q.NO.3447 FOR 06.11.2016

(g): This data is not maintained centrally. 'Prisons' is a State subject as per Entry 4 of List II of the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India. The administration and management of prisons is primarily the responsibility  of  the  State  Governments.  However,  the  Government  of India  has  issued  a  comprehensive  advisory  on  17th  July  2009  to  the States/UTs  on  'Prison  Administration',  which  provides  for  steps  to  be taken by the States/UTs for providing free legal aid to undertrials, setting up of Lok Adalats/ Special courts in prisons for expediting review of cases of undertrials. The same can be accessed on the website of the Ministry of Home   Affairs   at: http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload\_files/mha/files/Prison Advisories-1011.pdf

*******

ANNEX L.S.US.Q.NO.3447 FOR 06.12.2016

|    |                              | Undertrials Released during the year 2001-2015 2009   | Undertrials Released during the year 2001-2015 2009   | Undertrials Released during the year 2001-2015 2009   | Undertrials Released during the year 2001-2015 2009   | Undertrials Released during the year 2001-2015 2009   | Undertrials Released during the year 2001-2015 2009   | Undertrials Released during the year 2001-2015 2009   | Undertrials Released during the year 2001-2015 2009   | Undertrials Released during the year 2001-2015 2009   | Undertrials Released during the year 2001-2015 2009   | Undertrials Released during the year 2001-2015 2009   | Undertrials Released during the year 2001-2015 2009   | Undertrials Released during the year 2001-2015 2009   | Undertrials Released during the year 2001-2015 2009   |
|----|------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|
|    | STATE/Uts                    | 2001                                                  | 2002                                                  | 2003                                                  | 2004                                                  | 2005                                                  | 2006                                                  | 2007                                                  | 2008                                                  | 2010                                                  | 2011                                                  | 2012                                                  | 2013                                                  | 2014                                                  | 2015                                                  |
| 1  | ANDHRA PRADESH               | 142801                                                | 153764                                                | 154926                                                | 135004                                                | 148569 147757                                         | 149110                                                | 150999                                                | 154301                                                | 164363                                                | 144123                                                | 151010                                                | 167897                                                | 85140                                                 | 59718                                                 |
| 2  | ARUNACHAL PRADESH            | *                                                     | *                                                     | * *                                                   | *                                                     | *                                                     | *                                                     | *                                                     | 26                                                    | 139                                                   | 227                                                   | 274                                                   | 303                                                   | 316                                                   | 355                                                   |
| 3  | ASSAM                        | 25877                                                 | 26146 22743                                           | 25792                                                 | 24480                                                 | 24647                                                 | 22987                                                 | 26799                                                 | 25943                                                 | 27042                                                 | 26771                                                 | 24901                                                 | 29291                                                 | 27641                                                 | 29246                                                 |
| 4  | BIHAR                        | 17095                                                 | 87568 2919                                            | 73949                                                 | 105937                                                | 91728                                                 | 104536                                                | 87251                                                 | 80742                                                 | 79844                                                 | 96917                                                 | 99777                                                 | 97946                                                 | 89543                                                 | 97006                                                 |
| 5  | CHHATTISGARH                 | 29705                                                 | 26013 30724                                           | 32403                                                 | 32955                                                 | 35405                                                 | 35162                                                 | 38443                                                 | 38687                                                 | 36563                                                 | 39575                                                 | 35925                                                 | 40616                                                 | 33297                                                 | 33777                                                 |
| 6  | GOA                          | 835                                                   | 900 831                                               | 781                                                   | 696                                                   | 563                                                   | 293                                                   | 586                                                   | 292                                                   | 525                                                   | 668                                                   | 945                                                   | 786                                                   | 1122                                                  | 327                                                   |
| 7  | GUJARAT                      | 38492                                                 | 44851 40189                                           | 41685                                                 | 44164                                                 | 42923                                                 | 44702                                                 | 36826                                                 | 42777                                                 | 39636                                                 | 42247                                                 | 40220                                                 | 43303                                                 | 35813                                                 | 35190                                                 |
| 8  | HARYANA                      | 55548                                                 | 55065 21215                                           | 43891                                                 | 66941                                                 | 50449                                                 | 50465                                                 | 57473                                                 | 53320                                                 | 48192                                                 | 48871                                                 | 42946                                                 | 53798                                                 | 49723                                                 | 49497                                                 |
| 9  | HIMACHAL PRADESH             | 299                                                   | 2164 1941                                             | 2183                                                  | 2183                                                  | 1455                                                  | 1929                                                  | 2313                                                  | 2138                                                  | 2492                                                  | 2585                                                  | 2949                                                  | 2945                                                  | 2725                                                  | 2978                                                  |
| 10 | JAMMU & KASHMIR              | 1915                                                  | 2859 1706                                             | 3165                                                  | 3581                                                  | 5116                                                  | 5374                                                  | 4766                                                  | 1966                                                  | 6590                                                  | 4008                                                  | 7186                                                  | 6042                                                  | 5631                                                  | 6286                                                  |
| 11 | JHARKHAND                    | 23893                                                 | 33580 35139                                           | 37528                                                 | 43753                                                 | 59896                                                 | 53981                                                 | 40531                                                 | 45468                                                 | 39111                                                 | 39564                                                 | 41844                                                 | 43106                                                 | 38757                                                 | 38194                                                 |
| 12 | KARNATAKA                    | 9218                                                  | 30259 33961                                           | 33492                                                 | 35323                                                 | 34382                                                 | 34463                                                 | 35597                                                 | 34830                                                 | 36868                                                 | 40462                                                 | 35435                                                 | 37867                                                 | 41872                                                 | 35670                                                 |
| 13 | KERALA                       | 1494 84072                                            | 1402                                                  | 6724 6826                                             | 16                                                    | 31717                                                 | 31301                                                 | 29578                                                 | 39154 116535                                          | 24245 114361                                          | 22437                                                 | 22418                                                 | 7760                                                  | 7760 128054                                           | 8693 110606                                           |
| 14 | MADHYA PRADESH               |                                                       | 23582 108726                                          | 122410                                                | 117835                                                | 101291                                                | 108234                                                | 121097                                                |                                                       |                                                       | 104245                                                | 125337                                                | 125949                                                |                                                       |                                                       |
| 15 | MAHARASHTRA                  | 109404                                                | 104927 104563                                         | 109458                                                | 112262                                                | 116283                                                | 116765                                                | 121768                                                | 109743                                                | 101455                                                | 97982                                                 | 93722                                                 | 104413                                                | 107945                                                | 111714                                                |
| 16 | MANIPUR                      | 1431                                                  | 1184                                                  | 1205 1417                                             | 1688                                                  | 1351                                                  | 1119                                                  | 1212                                                  | 1231                                                  | 1253                                                  | 1722                                                  | 1717                                                  | 1366                                                  | 1497                                                  | 1218                                                  |
| 17 | MEGHALAYA                    | 857                                                   | 2590 1234                                             | 1337                                                  | 1092                                                  | 1538                                                  | 1642                                                  | 2167                                                  | 769                                                   | 1228                                                  | 1247                                                  | 1462                                                  | 1956                                                  | 1864                                                  | 1963                                                  |
| 18 | MIZORAM                      | 3288                                                  | 203 3587                                              | 4292                                                  | 1424                                                  | 2871                                                  | 2848                                                  | 2557                                                  | 3024                                                  | 3501                                                  | 3241                                                  | 2605                                                  | 3054                                                  | 3172                                                  | 2437                                                  |
| 19 | NAGALAND                     | 209                                                   | 124 161                                               | 26                                                    | 44                                                    | 39                                                    | 66                                                    | 252                                                   | 292                                                   | 109                                                   | 1174                                                  | 1655                                                  | 1558                                                  | 1619                                                  | 2389                                                  |
| 20 | ODISHA                       | 53663                                                 | 43205 40971                                           | 51530                                                 | 53030                                                 | 52365                                                 | 60518                                                 | 46718                                                 | 45837                                                 | 45837                                                 | 48584                                                 | 45313                                                 | 47188                                                 | 47311                                                 | 48415                                                 |
| 21 | PUNJAB                       | 4985                                                  | 3281 3088                                             | 3054                                                  | 3025                                                  | 3063                                                  | 2221                                                  | 2066                                                  | 3523                                                  | 4604                                                  | 4650                                                  | 47733                                                 | 43986                                                 | 48497                                                 | 37378                                                 |
| 22 | RAJASTHAN                    | 80437                                                 | 75675 73545                                           | 78645                                                 | 76817                                                 | 84401                                                 | 84617                                                 | 88902                                                 | 79415                                                 | 85010                                                 | 87688                                                 | 81453                                                 | 86266                                                 | 85074                                                 | 90747                                                 |
| 23 | SIKKIM                       | 87                                                    | 0                                                     | 92 97                                                 | 192                                                   | 240                                                   | 275                                                   | 339                                                   | 320                                                   | 318                                                   | 261                                                   | 311                                                   | 246                                                   | 500                                                   | 379                                                   |
| 24 | TAMILNADU                    | 10936                                                 | 11913 12114                                           | 4911                                                  | 12317                                                 | 12201                                                 | 13231                                                 | 47087                                                 | 56180                                                 | 65626                                                 | 60277                                                 | 67653                                                 | 71928                                                 | 73027                                                 | 68032                                                 |
| 25 | TELANGANA                    | *                                                     | * *                                                   | *                                                     | *                                                     | *                                                     | *                                                     | *                                                     | *                                                     | *                                                     | *                                                     | *                                                     | *                                                     | 76641                                                 | 57547                                                 |
| 26 | TRIPURA                      | 157                                                   | 208 237                                               | 224                                                   | 631                                                   | 711 238573                                            | 4130 220135                                           | 949 260383                                            | 1020 297728                                           | 1120                                                  | 1287 305801                                           | 1269 314533                                           | 1264 228383                                           | 1311 239995                                           | 1432 206893                                           |
| 27 | UTTAR PRADESH                | 217217 198613 8836                                    | 201349                                                | 180854                                                | 195912                                                | 11828                                                 |                                                       | 11144                                                 |                                                       | 310497                                                | 9014                                                  |                                                       | 7738                                                  | 7738                                                  | 8669                                                  |
| 28 | UTTARAKHAND                  | 8536                                                  | 7953                                                  | 8263                                                  |                                                       |                                                       | 12680                                                 | 71897                                                 | 13158                                                 | 7508                                                  |                                                       | 9974                                                  | 85424                                                 |                                                       | 88243                                                 |
| 29 | WEST BENGAL                  | 79643 1002394                                         | 92990 75093 986936                                    | 74280                                                 | 10843 57349                                           | 95934                                                 | 81855                                                 | 1289700                                               | 72712 1321131                                         | 74068 1322105                                         | 86361 1321989                                         | 83248 1383815                                         | 1342379                                               | 90710 1334295                                         | 1234999                                               |
| 30 | Total (STATES) A & N ISLANDS | 0                                                     | 1031602 701                                           | 1077497                                               | 1153059                                               | 1248727 723                                           | 1244639                                               | 912                                                   | 578                                                   | 639                                                   | 602                                                   |                                                       | 208                                                   | 397                                                   | 376                                                   |
|    |                              |                                                       | 0                                                     |                                                       | 896                                                   |                                                       |                                                       | 921                                                   |                                                       |                                                       |                                                       | 712                                                   |                                                       |                                                       | 2369                                                  |
| 32 | D&NHAVELI                    | 134                                                   | 150 155                                               | 132                                                   | 610                                                   | 225                                                   | 140                                                   | 83 56                                                 | 149                                                   | 209                                                   | 287                                                   | 325                                                   | 237                                                   | 156                                                   | 159                                                   |
| 31 | CHANDIGARH                   | 1489                                                  | 1922                                                  | 2017 3556                                             | 3125                                                  | 3520                                                  | 3673                                                  | 4046                                                  | 3812                                                  | 3464                                                  | 3571                                                  | 4471                                                  | 4648                                                  | 2513                                                  |                                                       |
| 34 |                              |                                                       | 17                                                    | 72127                                                 | 88317                                                 | 85370                                                 | 67830                                                 |                                                       | 15 37828                                              | 19 37287                                              | 8 45469                                               | 43236                                                 | 46590                                                 | 56254                                                 | 53201                                                 |
| 33 | DAMAN&DIU                    | 22                                                    | 51 57538                                              | 46 64479                                              | 62                                                    | 26                                                    | 25                                                    | 33                                                    | 43                                                    | 8                                                     |                                                       | 5                                                     | 13                                                    | 38                                                    | 47                                                    |
| 35 | DELHI LAKSHADWEEP            | 51192 0                                               | 13                                                    | 4 0                                                   | 0                                                     | 0                                                     |                                                       | 41256 19                                              | 18                                                    |                                                       | 11                                                    | 21                                                    | 32                                                    | 19                                                    | 28                                                    |
|    | PUDUCHERRY Total (UTS)       | 2819                                                  | 2636 70043                                            | 2636 79221                                            | 2464 94417                                            | 2078 91873                                            | 2094 74595                                            | 2044 48268                                            | 1947 2185 44610                                       | 1791 43417                                            | 1886                                                  | 2289                                                  | 1887                                                  | 1449                                                  | 1178                                                  |
| 36 |                              | 55656                                                 | 62276                                                 |                                                       |                                                       |                                                       |                                                       |                                                       |                                                       |                                                       | 51834                                                 | 51059                                                 | 53615                                                 | 60826                                                 | 57358                                                 |
|    | Total(ALL-INDIA)             | 1058050                                               | 1093878 1056979                                       | 1156718                                               | 1247476                                               | 1340600                                               | 1319234                                               | 1337968                                               | 1365741                                               | 1365522                                               | 1373823                                               | 1434874                                               | 1395994                                               | 1395121                                               | 1292357                                               |

* Jails do not exist.  Source: Prison Statistics India