TN has highest number of detenus in country: NCRB
CHENNAI: A total of 2,096 Indian prison inmates comprising 2,039 males and 57 females, were confined in various jails of the country with Tamil Nadu recording the highest number of detenus.According to National Crime Records Bureau data which was released on Monday, at the end of 2017, the State reported 810 detenus, the highest in the country, followed by Gujarat (345) and Karnataka (211), accounting for 38.6%,16.5% and 10.1% of the total inmates, respectively.
These three states have contributed to 65.2% of total detenus. Nearly 54% detenus (1,122) were in the age group 30 to below 50 years, followed by 40.6% (850) in the age-group of 18 to below 30 years. The report said of the 16.55 lakh inmates jailed in 2017, 41,378 are languishing in Tamil Nadu prisons. The number has increased by 17.02% during 2012-2017 (from 3,85,135 inmates in December 31, 2012 to 4,50,696 on December 31, 2017).
Among the inmates, number of convicts during 2012-2017 has increased by 8.89% whereas the number of undertrials has increased by 21.13%. Also, the number of detenus has increased by 11.13% during the same period. Tamil Nadu has 71 of the 2,250 foreign undertrials languishing in its jails. They belong to Bangladesh, Nepal, Nigeria, Myanmar, China, Japan, Canada, South-east Asian nations, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, among others.
The report says a total of 396 convicts were lodged in jails of the country for committing offences against Public Tranquility (Rioting only) under Indian Penal Code as on December 31, 2017. Maharashtra has reported the highest number of convicts (129) followed by Tamil Nadu (60) and Haryana (29) accounting for 32.58%, 15.15% and 7.32% of the total convicted inmates lodged under offence against Public Tranquility.
Uttar Pradesh has reported the highest number of convicts (211) of all those lodged under SLL crimes which are specific to crime against SC/STs.
SC/ST laws
The report states that a total of 498 convicts were lodged in various jails of the country for committing offences against SC/ST-related acts under Special and Local Laws as on December 31, 2017