Over 42 pc Punjab prison population accused or convicted under NDPS Act, says study

Saurabh Malik

Chandigarh, January 21

No less than 54 per cent of the 660 inmates interviewed during the course of a study in 24 jails across Punjab alleged custodial violence in police custody. At least 12 per cent of the total prisoners interviewed also alleged custodial violence in the prisons. Incidents of smuggling were alleged by the inmates in 15 of the 24 prisons. Corruption was alleged by inmates in 12 of the jails.

The in-depth report, ‘Inside Punjab Prisons’, released today also says 75 per cent of the jails across Punjab are overcrowded. In fact, the phenomenon was witnessed in 18 of the jails in December 2022, up from 10 in 2019. The report on the conditions of prisons in the State by the Punjab State Legal Services Authority, prepared in collaboration with the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, also says nearly 42.1 per cent of the prison population comprised prisoners accused or convicted under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.

The report adds 10 prisons were in urgent need of renovations or reconstruction, while 25 per cent staff positions were vacant. As many as 16 prisons did not have sanctioned post for education staff and 17 did not have sanctioned post for welfare staff. Women officers were not being recruited at senior positions. Out of 103 officers, only three were women.

Only one prison had a “board of visitors” –– a statutory body for monitoring prisons. The under-trial review committees, mandated to periodically review cases of prisoners, were, however, functional in all the prisons.

The report further says medical examinations at the time of admission were not being conducted in five sub-jails. Appropriate action was taken by the district legal services authorities after 22 prisoners interviewed across 11 prisons were alleged to be juveniles. Issues of corruption, accessibility and lack of privacy during family visits were unearthed and issues related to payment of wages were reported in 22 prisons.

There was shortage of budget for factory and manufacturing units across the jails. Women prisoners had limited access to vocational training, prison legal-aid clinic, hospitals, recreation, places of worship, libraries and menstrual hygiene products. Complaints of caste-based discrimination were also received.

The report was released by Supreme Court Judge and NALSA executive chairperson, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, along with Justice Sanjiv Khanna. Allahabad High Court Chief Justice, Justice Rajesh Bindal, was also present.

It has been finalised under Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice, Justice Ravi Shanker Jha and Punjab State Legal Services Authority executive chairman Justice Tejinder Singh Dhindsa. District and Sessions-cum-Member Secretary Arun Gupta “played an important role” in the review and finalization of this report authored by Arijeet Ghosh and Sabika Abbas. It was edited by Madhurima Dhanuka from the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative.