Arnab Gets Swift Bail But Over 3 Lakh Undertrials Languishing In Jail
The rule of law is the same in every democratic country. Recently, while granting interim bail to Arnab Goswami, Republic TV’s editor-in-chief in the abetment to suicide case, the Supreme Court said that even if the allegations, in this case, is to be accepted, would it be appropriate to put someone in jail until proven guilty?
In fact, the Supreme Court was following the principle that has been going on since 1978 that granting of bail should be a normal process and only in select cases should the accused be sent to jail.
But if we look at the figures of under-trial prisoners languishing in jails, then another picture emerges. As of December 2019, 3,30,487 undertrials were lodged in 1350 jails across the country, of them, 3,16,937 are men and 13,550 are women. But the most shocking thing is that many inmates are forced to stay in jail for the past several years without being proven guilty, after failing to arrange their bail. According to statistics, 1,22,254 undertrials have been in jail for 3 months and the maximum number of such prisoners are in UP, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. As many as 68,447 prisoners have been in jail for 6 months because they couldn’t get bail while 54,140 prisoners have been in jail for a period of 6 months to 1 year, 44,135 prisoners from 1 to 2 years and 22,451 prisoners from 3 to 5 years, awaiting verdicts in trials. The most worrying thing is that the 5,011 undertrials, including 4,881 men and 130 women, have been in jail for more than 5 years because they have not been granted bail by the court. Statistics show that most of the prisoners under consideration in jails are Dalits, backward castes and Muslims, who are considered economically and socially weak. Out of 3,30,487 inmates, more than 70% were undertrials belong to these communities: Dalits (69,302); Adivasis (34,756), backward castes (1,13,062) and Muslims (61900). According to experts, the number of undertrials among Muslim community is very high because most of them do not get free of cost legal help. The prejudice of the police and the judicial system is also considered to be a major reason for this.
But if we look at the figures of under-trial prisoners languishing in jails, then another picture emerges. As of December 2019, 3,30,487 undertrials were lodged in 1350 jails across the country, of them, 3,16,937 are men and 13,550 are women. But the most shocking thing is that many inmates are forced to stay in jail for the past several years without being proven guilty, after failing to arrange their bail. According to statistics, 1,22,254 undertrials have been in jail for 3 months and the maximum number of such prisoners are in UP, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. As many as 68,447 prisoners have been in jail for 6 months because they couldn’t get bail while 54,140 prisoners have been in jail for a period of 6 months to 1 year, 44,135 prisoners from 1 to 2 years and 22,451 prisoners from 3 to 5 years, awaiting verdicts in trials. The most worrying thing is that the 5,011 undertrials, including 4,881 men and 130 women, have been in jail for more than 5 years because they have not been granted bail by the court. Statistics show that most of the prisoners under consideration in jails are Dalits, backward castes and Muslims, who are considered economically and socially weak. Out of 3,30,487 inmates, more than 70% were undertrials belong to these communities: Dalits (69,302); Adivasis (34,756), backward castes (1,13,062) and Muslims (61900). According to experts, the number of undertrials among Muslim community is very high because most of them do not get free of cost legal help. The prejudice of the police and the judicial system is also considered to be a major reason for this.
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