Lok Sabha Question No. 1450 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-05-03
Subject: Undertrials in Jails
Ministry: HOME AFFAIRS
Asked by: MEENAKASHI LEKHI, VISHNU DAYAL RAM

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1450

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 03 RD  MAY, 2016/ VAISAKHA 13, 1938 (SAKA)

UNDERTRIALS IN JAILS

1450.  SHRIMATI MEENAKASHI LEKHI: SHRI VISHNU DAYAL RAM:

Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) the total number of convicted prisoners and undertrials languishing in  the  various  jails  of  the  country  separately,  gender,  jail  and  Statewise;
- (b)  the  total  number  of  such  prisoners  who  are  still  in  jails  due  to various  reasons  despite  having  completed  their  period  of  punishment along with the reasons therefor gender, Jail and State-wise;
- (c) the time by which such prisoners are likely to be released, gender, Jail and State-wise;
- (d) whether the Government has taken cognizance of the observations made  by  the  Supreme  Court  on  15  March,  2016  regarding  the  rising violent clashes in jails due to shortage of staff;
- (e) if so, the details thereof and the action taken by the Government for implementation of Model Jail Manual, 2016; and
- (f)  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  for  speedy  trial  and  release  of undertrials  along  with  the  steps  taken  to  provide  legal  assistance  to them?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI HARIBHAI PARATHIBHAI CHAUDHARY)

- (a) As per data compiled by the National Crime Records Bureau at the end of 2014, there were 1,31,517 convicted prisoners and 2,82,879 undertrial prisoners in  the  jails  of  the  country.  A  State/UT-wise  and

## LS.US.Q.NO.1450 FOR 03.05.2016

gender-wise statement of convicted and undertrial prisoners is enclosed at Annexure-I.

(b)&(c) As  per  data  compiled  by  National  Crime  Records  Bureau (NCRB) at end of 2014, a State/UT-wise and gender wise statement of convicts in jails of the country due to non-payment of fine amount, after completion of their sentence is enclosed at Annexure-II. Data regarding release of these prisoners are not maintained centrally.

(d)&(e)      'Prisons'  is  a  State  subject  as  per  Entry  4  of  List  II  of  the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India. Therefore, the administration and management of prisons is primarily the responsibility  of  the  State  Governments.    However,  the  Ministry  of Home Affairs has prepared a new Model Prison Manual 2016 covering all  aspects of prisons and the copy of the same has been sent to the States/UTs for guidance.

(f) The following measures have been taken by the Government in respect of undertrial prisoners and to reduce the overcrowding in jails:

## LS.US.Q.NO.1450 FOR 03.05.2016

- (i) A letter has been sent to all States/UTs on 14.8.2015 for taking necessary  action  for  including  the  Secretary  of  the  District  Legal Services  Authority  as  one  of  the  members  of  the  Under  Trial  Review committee.
- (ii) An  Advisory  has  been  issued  by  the  Government  of  India  on 17.1.2013 to States/UTs regarding use of section 436A of the Cr.P.C to reduce overcrowding of prisons. The same can also be accessed on the website of Ministry of Home Affairs at the link:

http://mha1.nic.in/PrisonReforms/pdf/AdvSec436APrisons-060213\_0.pdf

- (iii) The  Union  Home  Minister  has  written  to  Chief  Ministers/LG  of States/UT  on  3.9.2014  regarding  use  of  section  436A  of  Cr.  P.C.  to reduce overcrowding in jails of the country.
- (iv) The Hon'ble Supreme Court in its order dated 5.9.2014 in the Writ Petition No. 310/2005 - Bhim Singh Vs Union of India & Other relating to the  undertrial  prisoners  has  directed  for  effective  implementation  of Section 436A of the  Code  of  Criminal  Procedure. The  DG  (Prisons)/IG

## LS.US.Q.NO.1450 FOR 03.05.2016

(Prisons)  of  all  States/UTs  have  been  requested  on  22.9.2014  to  take necessary  action  to  comply  with  the  order  of  the  Hon'ble  Supreme Court in the matter.

(v) An Advisory dated 27.9.2014 has been issued by the Government of India to the States/UTs on reckoning half-life of time spent in judicial custody  of  Undertrial  prisoners  under  Section  436A  of  Cr.  P.  C.  The same can also be accessed on the website of Ministry of Home Affairs at the link:

http://mha1.nic.in/PrisonReforms/pdf/GuidelinesForRreckoningHalfLife\_1 61014.pdf

*****

## Annexure-I

## Annexure referred to in part (a) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1450 for answer on 3.5.2016

| S. No.   | State/UT          | Convicted prisoners   | Convicted prisoners   | Convicted prisoners   | Undertrial prisoners   | Undertrial prisoners   | Undertrial prisoners   |
|----------|-------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
| S. No.   | State/UT          | Male                  | Female                | Total                 | Male                   | Female                 | Total                  |
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh    | 2462                  | 142                   | 2604                  | 5097                   | 221                    | 5318                   |
| 2        | Arunachal Pradesh | 32                    | 0                     | 32                    | 91                     | 4                      | 95                     |
| 3        | Assam             | 3033                  | 108                   | 3141                  | 5007                   | 186                    | 5193                   |
| 4        | Bihar             | 4334                  | 112                   | 4446                  | 25822                  | 978                    | 26800                  |
| 5        | Chhattisgarh      | 6822                  | 334                   | 7156                  | 8895                   | 465                    | 9360                   |
| 6        | Goa               | 137                   | 8                     | 145                   | 363                    | 19                     | 382                    |
| 7        | Gujarat           | 3661                  | 176                   | 3837                  | 7198                   | 319                    | 7517                   |
| 8        | Haryana           | 7172                  | 345                   | 7517                  | 10685                  | 439                    | 11124                  |
| 9        | Himachal Pradesh  | 872                   | 32                    | 904                   | 1171                   | 45                     | 1216                   |
| 10       | Jammu & Kashmir   | 337                   | 12                    | 349                   | 1829                   | 70                     | 1899                   |
| 11       | Jharkhand         | 3723                  | 147                   | 3870                  | 13072                  | 718                    | 13790                  |
| 12       | Karnataka         | 3978                  | 207                   | 4185                  | 9441                   | 371                    | 9812                   |
| 13       | Kerala            | 2543                  | 64                    | 2607                  | 4364                   | 107                    | 4471                   |
| 14       | Madhya Pradesh    | 16567                 | 521                   | 17088                 | 18561                  | 627                    | 19188                  |
| 15       | Maharashtra       | 7523                  | 401                   | 7924                  | 18867                  | 1028                   | 19895                  |
| 16       | Manipur           | 92                    | 1                     | 93                    | 479                    | 31                     | 510                    |
| 17       | Meghalaya         | 84                    | 1                     | 85                    | 695                    | 2                      | 697                    |
| 18       | Mizoram           | 483                   | 16                    | 499                   | 511                    | 44                     | 555                    |
| 19       | Nagaland          | 67                    | 2                     | 69                    | 328                    | 8                      | 336                    |
| 20       | Odisha            | 3179                  | 108                   | 3287                  | 11123                  | 430                    | 11553                  |
| 21       | Punjab            | 10009                 | 531                   | 10540                 | 14694                  | 773                    | 15467                  |
| 22       | Rajasthan         | 5400                  | 231                   | 5631                  | 14145                  | 463                    | 14608                  |
| 23       | Sikkim            | 105                   | 2                     | 107                   | 153                    | 4                      | 157                    |
| 24       | Tamil Nadu        | 4783                  | 158                   | 4941                  | 8621                   | 413                    | 9034                   |
| 25       | Telangana         | 2026                  | 169                   | 2195                  | 3506                   | 277                    | 3783                   |
| 26       | Tripura           | 491                   | 11                    | 502                   | 390                    | 17                     | 407                    |
| 27       | Uttar Pradesh     | 24596                 | 970                   | 25566                 | 59913                  | 2602                   | 62515                  |
| 28       | Uttarakhand       | 1908                  | 91                    | 1999                  | 1985                   | 71                     | 2056                   |
| 29       | West Bengal       | 5069                  | 312                   | 5381                  | 13143                  | 907                    | 14050                  |
| 30       | A & N Islands     | 681                   | 1                     | 682                   | 83                     | 4                      | 87                     |
| 31       | Chandigarh        | 332                   | 18                    | 350                   | 338                    | 14                     | 352                    |
| 32       | D & N Haveli      | 0                     | 0                     | 0                     | 198                    | 1                      | 199                    |
| 33       | Daman & Diu       | 15                    | 1                     | 16                    | 63                     | 0                      | 63                     |
| 34       | Delhi             | 3505                  | 169                   | 3674                  | 9738                   | 433                    | 10171                  |
| 35       | Lakshadweep       | 0                     | 0                     | 0                     | 28                     | 0                      | 28                     |
| 36       | Puducherry        | 93                    | 2                     | 95                    | 186                    | 5                      | 191                    |
|          |                   | 126114                | 5403                  | 131517                | 270783                 | 12096                  | 282879                 |

Annexure-II Annexure referred to in part (b)&(c) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1450 for answer on 3.5.2016

| S. No.   | State/UT          | Convicted prisoners in jails after completions of   | Convicted prisoners in jails after completions of   | Convicted prisoners in jails after completions of   |
|----------|-------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|
|          |                   | sentence Male                                       | non payment Female                                  | fine amount Total                                   |
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh    | 3                                                   | 0                                                   | 3                                                   |
| 2        | Arunachal Pradesh | 0                                                   | 0                                                   | 0                                                   |
| 3        | Assam             | 0                                                   | 0                                                   | 0                                                   |
| 4        | Bihar             | 17                                                  | 2                                                   | 19                                                  |
| 5        | Chhattisgarh      | 8                                                   | 1                                                   | 9                                                   |
| 6        | Goa               | 2                                                   | 1                                                   | 3                                                   |
| 7        | Gujarat           | 0                                                   | 0                                                   | 0                                                   |
| 8        | Haryana           | 24                                                  | 0                                                   | 24                                                  |
| 9        | Himachal Pradesh  | 14                                                  | 0                                                   | 14                                                  |
| 10       | Jammu & Kashmir   | 0                                                   | 0                                                   | 0                                                   |
| 11       | Jharkhand         | 12                                                  | 0                                                   | 12                                                  |
| 12       | Karnataka         | 4                                                   | 0                                                   | 4                                                   |
| 13       | Kerala            | 41                                                  | 1                                                   | 42                                                  |
| 14       | Madhya Pradesh    | 40                                                  | 0                                                   | 40                                                  |
| 15       | Maharashtra       | 43                                                  | 2                                                   | 45                                                  |
| 16       | Manipur           | 0                                                   | 0                                                   | 0                                                   |
| 17       | Meghalaya         | 0                                                   | 0                                                   | 0                                                   |
| 18       | Mizoram           | 0                                                   | 0                                                   | 0                                                   |
| 19       | Nagaland          | 0                                                   | 0                                                   | 0                                                   |
| 20       | Odisha            | 16                                                  | 0                                                   | 16                                                  |
| 21       | Punjab            | 43                                                  | 0                                                   | 43                                                  |
| 22       | Rajasthan         | 26                                                  | 1                                                   | 27                                                  |
| 23       | Sikkim            | 4                                                   | 0                                                   | 4                                                   |
| 24       | Tamil Nadu        | 12                                                  | 0                                                   | 12                                                  |
| 25       | Telangana         | 5                                                   | 0                                                   | 5                                                   |
| 26       | Tripura           | 53                                                  | 0                                                   | 53                                                  |
| 27       | Uttar Pradesh     | 359                                                 | 13                                                  | 372                                                 |
| 28       | Uttarakhand       | 1                                                   | 0                                                   | 1                                                   |
| 29       | West Bengal       | 89                                                  | 3                                                   | 92                                                  |
| 30       | A & N Islands     | 424                                                 | 0                                                   | 424                                                 |
| 31       | Chandigarh        | 1                                                   | 0                                                   | 1                                                   |
| 32       | D & N Haveli      | 0                                                   | 0                                                   | 0                                                   |
| 33       | Daman & Diu       | 0                                                   | 0                                                   | 0                                                   |
| 34       | Delhi             | 58                                                  | 3                                                   | 61                                                  |
| 35       | Lakshadweep       | 0                                                   | 0                                                   | 0                                                   |
| 36       | Puducherry        | 0                                                   | 0                                                   | 0                                                   |
|          |                   | 1299                                                | 27                                                  | 1326                                                |

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