Gauhati High Court Takes Suo Motu Cognisance of Assam Jail Conditions

The Gauhati High Court has taken suo motu cognisance of serious health and administrative issues in Assam’s jails, including overcrowding, HIV infections, poor mental healthcare, suicides and delays in remission applications.

A division bench led by Chief Justice Ashutosh Kumar and Justice Arun Dev Choudhury has directed the state government to submit a detailed affidavit on the steps being taken to address the problems.

The court took up the matter after reports highlighted the condition of inmates at Guwahati Central Jail. During an inspection, the jail was found to be housing 1,672 prisoners against its capacity of 1,400, including 77 women.

The court also noted that 31 inmates at Guwahati Central Jail were HIV-positive, while 19 were undergoing psychiatric treatment. It expressed concern over the lack of regular mental healthcare and reports of overcrowding in several district jails.

The bench further noted that 27 cases of unnatural deaths and suicides have been reported in Assam jails over the past five years. It also raised concerns over life convicts waiting for two to three years for their remission applications to be considered.

The court has asked the departments concerned to explain the remedial measures being taken and directed them to file a detailed report.