Ashok Pradhan

BHUBANESWAR: Over 76% of the total 14,000 prisoners in Odisha jails are undertrials, information obtained using RTI Act reveals. Human rights campaigners feel the ratio of undertrials to convicts in jails shows too many innocent people are suffering avoidable pre-trial punishment.

According to information obtained by RTI campaigner Pradip Pradhan, total 14,706 prisoners are languishing in 91 prisons.

They include 11,239 undertrials and 3,467 convicts as on April 30, the information supplied by directorate of prisons and correctional services said. The reply was given on June 19. The prisons include jails, sub-jails, special jails and circle jails.

The circle jails in Choudwar and Berhampur house maximum 762 inmates each. While Berhampur has 177 convicts and 585 undertials, Choudwar has 282 persons, who have been already given sentences by courts, and 480 others against whom cases are still pending. The Bhubaneswar circle jail has 543 undertrials compared to just 95 convicts. Angul jail has 347 undertrials and just 50 convicts.

From among the 69 sub-jails, those in Kashipur, Kantabanjhi, Laxmipur, Patrapur, Soro and MV 79 (Malkangiri) have no prisoner at all. The Naribandi Niketan (exclusive jail for women) in Sambalpur has just 20 inmates, including 10 undertrials.

“According to the conventional norms, someone is innocent till proven guilty. Bail should be generally available and jail should be for exceptional (undertrials). However, unfortunately, the same is not happening,” said human rights campaigner Biswapriya Kanungo.

Kanungo termed this as great injustice and gross violation of human rights. It is against the fundamental principle of freedom. The judiciary need to be more considerate while granting bail, he said.

The government spends Rs 60 per head a day towards food according to a circular issued by home department issued in September 2013, incurring a daily food bill of Rs 8.82 lakh. The cost on convicts comes to around Rs 2 lakh a day. (Courtesy: TOI)