This figure of deaths in police custody and Dalits, tribals lodged in jails will surprise you
AuthorDalit Times
A Dalit (Pasi community) youth died in Giridih, Jharkhand. The death happened in the police station, so the matter is a bit more sensitive. On the one hand, the Dalit family alleges that their son Nago died due to police beating, while on the other hand, the police say that the Dalit youth died of a heart attack. However, the family’s allegation is that the police is fabricating a heart attack story to protect itself. By the way, it is said that the incident happened on August 21, but this incident has once again started a debate on the deaths in the police station.
Death in police custody, nationwide statistics:
Let’s talk about how many people have died in the police custody till now across the country. According to the data given by Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai in the Rajya Sabha, in the last five years, a total of 669 cases have been registered across the country on police custodial deaths. This figure of deaths is from 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2022.
How many deaths in which year?
Whereas, according to the information given by Minister Nityanand Rai, a total of 175 cases of death in police custody have been registered during the last year 2021-2022, while 100 cases in 2020-2021, 112 cases in 2019-2021, 2018- 136 cases have been registered in 2019, and 146 death cases in 2017-2018. However, there was a continuous decrease in these figures. But then come last year’s figures are frightening.
Jails are full of SC, ST and OBC people:
Also, according to Minister of State for Home Reddy, “There are 4,78,600 prisoners in the jails of the country, out of which 3,15,409 prisoners come from SC, ST and OBC categories. These figures are based on the data of the National Crime Records Bureau ie NCRB. It was told that about 34 percent of the prisoners belong to the OBC category, while about 21 percent are from the Scheduled Castes and 11 percent from the Scheduled Tribes. These figures are much higher than the population of these classes.
Many tribals in jail due to lack of money:
Recently President Draupadi Murmu, in his first Constitution Day address in the Supreme Court on November 26, while highlighting the economic condition of the poor tribals of his home state Odisha apart from Jharkhand, said that there is no money to pay the bail amount. Due to this, many tribals are in jail despite getting bail.
Jail should be reduced:
President Murmu also referred to the discussions about increasing the number of jails and over-filling them. He mentioned that we are moving towards development, so what is the need to build more jails? Jail should be reduced.
accused of serious crimes are acquitted
Murmu urged the judiciary to do something for the poor tribals. He had said that those accused of serious crimes go free, but these poor prisoners, who may have been jailed for slapping someone, have to spend years in jail before being released. At the same time, he had said that those who are in jail, they neither know about the fundamental rights and duties nor about the Preamble of the Constitution, so there is a need to do something for such people.
However, if we talk again about the Jharkhand incident, SP Deepak Sharma, while taking action to immediately present the station in-charge Shashi Singh and ASI Mithun Rajak, formed a medical board and issued an order for post-mortem and judicial inquiry.
