- 1,960 deaths in jails across the country in 2024, out of which 1,737 were declared natural
- Serious questions raised on shortage of doctors, overcrowding and laxity in investigation
- Experts said that it is mandatory to have an impartial judicial inquiry into every incident of death due to inheritance.
New Delhi. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB)’s 2024 report on deaths in the country’s prisons has sparked an uncomfortable debate. According to the report, 1,960 prisoners died in Indian jails in the year 2024. Of these, 1,737 deaths were considered ‘natural’, while only 166 deaths were recorded in the unnatural category. The question is whether every death that occurred during the disease was actually natural or were it due to delay in treatment, lack of medical facilities and administrative negligence?
This debate has intensified because in recent months, cases like Sadiq Basha and Abdul Khader, who are lodged in Karnataka jail, have raised questions on the system. Both were suffering from serious illnesses. Family members and lawyers allege that despite demands for better treatment and interim bail on health grounds, they did not get adequate relief. Now it is feared that his death will also be recorded in the government records as a death due to a common disease.
According to NCRB data, most of the cases of natural deaths are related to heart disease, lung disease, kidney and liver diseases, cancer, TB and other diseases. The report also records 35 deaths due to health problems arising from drug addiction or alcohol withdrawal. However, the report does not indicate whether these prisoners received timely specialist treatment or not. This is the biggest question, because many diseases are not fatal if they get timely treatment. The health system of the country’s jails also raises concerns.
Out of 3,827 sanctioned posts of medical staff, only 2,049 posts are filled. There is an acute shortage of doctors and health workers in many states. In states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana and Maharashtra, one doctor or medical staff is responsible for hundreds of prisoners. In such a situation, it becomes difficult to provide timely treatment to serious patients.
The situation becomes more serious when there are more prisoners in jails than their capacity. The average occupancy level of the country’s prisons is 112 percent, while in many states it is more than 150 percent. Overcrowding has a direct impact on health services and surveillance systems. The law mandates investigation by a judicial magistrate into every custodial death, but human rights organizations allege that in many states this process has become a mere formality. If there is not an independent and impartial investigation into every death, it will be difficult to decide whether the death was caused by the disease or by medical negligence.
Experts believe that a person in jail also has equal right to life and health under the Constitution. In such a situation, merely recording the figures of deaths is not enough. What is needed is that every suspicious death should be transparently investigated, the medical infrastructure in jails should be strengthened and the courts should take decisions sensitively in the cases of seriously ill prisoners. Only then will we be able to believe that no one’s life is being lost behind the bars due to the flaws in the system.
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