Suicide major cause of unnatural deaths among prisoners in India: SC committee tells apex court

SC-appointed committee finds suicide major cause of 817 unnatural deaths in jails across India between 2017-2021. UP recorded highest number of suicides (101). Committee recommends building suicide-resistant cells/barracks, identifying potential hanging/anchoring points, providing psychological first aid, implementing health insurance schemes, and setting up a robust grievance redressal mechanism. SC to hear matter on Sept 26.

Suicide is a major cause of the 817 unnatural deaths reported in jails across the country between 2017 and 2021, the Supreme Court Committee on Prison Reforms has told the apex court while emphasising the need for building suicide resistant barracks.

The apex court-appointed committee, headed by former top court judge Justice (retd) Amitava Roy, has said that out of the 817 unnatural deaths, 660 were suicides with Uttar Pradesh recording the highest number of suicides at 101 during this period.

"There is a need to identify potential hanging and anchoring points within the existing designs of prison infrastructure and to build suicide resistant cells/barracks with the use of collapsible material to replace the former," the committee has said in the final synopsis of reports submitted in the apex court.

The final synopsis of reports dated December 27, 2022 contains nine chapters, including on unnatural deaths in prisons, death row convicts and violence in Indian jails.

In September 2018, the top court had constituted a three-member committee headed by Justice (retd) Roy to look at issues involving jail reforms and make recommendations on several aspects, including overcrowding in prisons.

In the chapter titled "unnatural deaths in prisons", the committee has said torture in custody or custodial death flouts the basic rights of citizens and is an "affront to human dignity".

It said the report is based on data provided within the Prison Statistics India (PSI) report from 2017 to 2021, published by the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB).