Lok Sabha Question No. 2637 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-08-02
Subject: Prisoners and Undertrials in Jails
Ministry: HOME AFFAIRS
Asked by: MAHEISH GIRRI, ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY, KONDA VISHWESHWAR REDDY, SISIR KUMAR ADHIKARI, SHIVKUMAR CHANABASAPPA UDASI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2637

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 2 nd AUGUST, 2016/SHRAVANA 11, 1938, (SAKA)

PRISONERS AND UNDERTRIALS IN JAILS

2637.

SHRI MAHEISH GIRRI:

SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY:

SHRI KONDA VISHWESHWAR REDDY:

SHRI SISIR KUMAR ADHIKARI:

SHRI SHIVKUMAR UDASI:

Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) the total number of prisoners and undertrials languishing in various jails separately in the country gender and State-wise;

(b)  whether  the  Government  has  taken  any  action  to  ensure  speedy trial/justice or conditional release of such prisoners/ Undertrials and if so, the details thereof;

- (c)  whether  the  Government  has  conducted  any  study  to  identify  the reasons for slow trial of undertrials, if so, the details and outcome of such study during the last three years and the current year;
- (d)  whether  the  Government  has  any  proposal  to  restrict  the  flow  of undertrials  by  bringing  certain  changes  in  the  laws,  if  so,  the  details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and

(e)  the  other  measures  taken  by  the  Government  for  speedy  disposal  of pending cases and release of undertrials in view of the increasing number of prisoners languishing in jails due to delay in judicial process?

## ANSWER

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

## ::02::

(a) As per data compiled by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) at the end of 2014, there were 1,31,517 convicts and 2,82,879 undertrial inmates in the jails of the country. A State/UT wise genderwise statement of  inmates  lodged  in  the  jails  of  the  country  at  the  end  of  2014  is  at Annexure-I.

(b) to (e) Since '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.  Hon'ble  Supreme  Court,  in  the  matter  of  Suo  Moto  W.P. (Civil)  No.  406  of  2013  titled  Re:  Inhuman  Conditions  prevailing  in  1382 prisons  in  India,  has  passed  certain  directions  in  respect  of  undertrial prisoners  and  their  living  conditions  in  jails.  The  States/UTs  have  been asked to take necessary action on the directions of the Hon'ble Supreme Court.

In  order  to  take  up  the  issue  of  undertrial  prisoners,  the  following measures have been taken by the Government:

(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.

## L.S.US. Q. NO. 2637 FOR 2.8.2016

## ::03::

- (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 (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

## L.S.US. Q. NO. 2637 FOR 2.8.2016

L.S.US. Q. NO. 2637 FOR 2.8.2016 can also be accessed on the website of Ministry of Home Affairs at the

::04:: link:

http://mha1.nic.in/PrisonReforms/pdf/GuidelinesForRreckoningHalfLife\_161 014. pdf

*******

## L.S.US. Q. NO. 2637 FOR 2.8.2016

## ANNEXURE-I

## Annexure referred to in part (a) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2637 for answer on 02.08.2016

| S. No.   | State/UT          | Convicted prisoners   | Convicted prisoners   | Convicted prisoners   | Undertrial prisoners   | Undertrial prisoners   | Undertrial prisoners   |
|----------|-------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
|          |                   | 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 |
|      | Total         |  126114 |  5403 |  131517 |  270783 | 12096 |  282879 |