Tihar put on road to weight-loss | Latest News Delhi - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Tihar put on road to weight-loss

Hindustan Times | ByHarish V Nair, New Delhi
Jul 03, 2007 01:54 AM IST

Delhi HC begins a process that could become the biggest step yet in ending the inhuman conditions in the unacceptably overcrowded prison, reports Harish V Nair.

A fortnight after a killer heat wave struck down seven people in as many days at Tihar, the Delhi High Court began a process that could become the biggest step yet in ending the inhuman conditions in the unacceptably overcrowded prison. The court said on Monday it would examine if a chunk of undertrials at the jail could be released on bail.

HT Image
HT Image

But only those facing trial for offences that attract a maximum seven years in jail will be considered.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

A division bench of justices RS Sodhi and HR Malhotra asked Tihar authorities and the Delhi government to submit, by July 25, a list of such prisoners, their antecedents and the time each had spent in jail.

Tihar Jail’s law officer Sunil Kumar Gupta said there were about 2,000 such inmates. “If all of them are released on bail, the overcrowding will ease to a considerable extent,” he told HT.

Tihar currently has 13,253 prisoners — more than double its capacity of 6,250. According to National Crime Records Bureau data, 81 per cent of them (over 10,000) are undertrials.

The court said judicial backlog was a major reason for the overcrowding. “There is no denying that such a high percentage of undertrials in a jail is a poor reflection of the state of affairs of the criminal justice administration. Some drastic steps are called for,” Justice Sodhi said.

The observations came during a hearing on the conditions that had led to the death of six inmates and a policeman in seven days from June 6. Two weeks ago, the court had ordered the release of 600 prisoners who were under preventive detention in the jail.

Unveiling 'Elections 2024: The Big Picture', a fresh segment in HT's talk show 'The Interview with Kumkum Chadha', where leaders across the political spectrum discuss the upcoming general elections. Watch now!
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, March 29, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On