Muzammil Bashir
An RTI filed by two students of Kashmir University has revealed that the jails in Jammu Kashmir are overcrowded during the times of global pandemic despite the supreme court orders of decongesting the Jails.
Earlier in April, as the global pandemic spread in India, a three-member committee headed by J-K State Legal Services Authority Executive Chairman Justice Rajesh Bindal ordered the release of jail inmates, except those involved in militancy-related cases to decongest the prisons in the Union Territory.
The figures reveal that a total of 4031 prisoners are lodged in fourteen jails across Jammu Kashmir against a capacity of 3660 persons.
The data accessed by The Kashmiriyat also reveals that a total of 747 prisoners are lodged across the 14 jails in Militancy related cases, most of them, 143 in Srinagar’s Central Jail followed by 130 in Kot Bhalwal jail of Jammu. A total of 1.8 Percent out of those arrested in Militancy-related cases have been convicted.
In Jammu’s Kot Bhalwal jail, the total number of prisoners lodged is 709, all are males. The total number of convicts is 72 which includes 67 common law convicts and 5 militancy-related.
The total number of undertrial prisoners is 516 among them 386 are common law prisoners and 130 are militancy-related prisoners. The total intake capacity of Central Jail Jammu, Kotbhalwal is 902.
In Central Jail Srinagar, the total number of prisoners lodged is 570 against a capacity of 509. The prisoners lodged here include 549 males and 21 females, the total number of convicts is 31 which includes 27 common law convicts and 4 militancy-related.
The total number of undertrial prisoners is 531 among them 388 are common law prisoners and 130 are militancy-related prisoners. The total intake capacity of Central Jail Srinagar is 509.
The total number of prisoners in District Jail Jammu is 615, which includes 571 males and 44 females. The total number of convicts is 40 which includes 39 common law convicts and 1 militancy-related. The total number of undertrial prisoners is 564 among them 521 are common law prisoners and 43 are militancy-related prisoners. The total intake capacity of District Jail Jammu is 426.
The total number of prisoners in District Jail Kathua is 279, which includes 271 males and 8 females. The total number of convicts are 6, all of them are common law convicts. The total number of undertrial prisoners is 238 among them 223 are common law prisoners and 15 are militancy-related prisoners. The total intake capacity of District Jail Kathua is 275.
The total number of prisoners in District Jail Udhampur is 392, which includes 370 males and 22 females. The total number of convicts is 3 which includes 1 common law convict and 2 militancy-related.
The Total number of undertrial prisoners is 388 among them 365 are common law prisoners and 23 are militancy-related prisoners. The total intake capacity of District Jail Udhampur is 292.
The total number of prisoners in District Jail Bhaderwah is 138, which includes 135 males and 3 females. The total number of convicts is zero. The total number of undertrial prisoners is 113 among them 86 are common law prisoners and 27 are militancy-related prisoners. The total intake capacity of District Jail Bhaderwah is 155.
Rajouri District Jail that has a capacity of 152 has around 246 prisoners, this includes 234 males and 12 females. The total number of convicts is zero.
Exceeding its capacity, the total number of prisoners lodged in District Jail Baramulla is 274 against a capacity of 213 prisoners, the total number of undertrial prisoners is 192 among them 180 are common law prisoners and 82 are militancy related prisoners.
The total number of prisoners in District Jail Kupwara is 222 and all are males.
The total number of convicts here is 3 and all are common law convicts. The total number of undertrial prisoners is 206 among them 104 are common law prisoners and 102 are militancy-related prisoners. The total intake capacity of District Jail Kupwara is 164.
In the district jail of Anantnag 246 prisoners, all males are lodged, the jail has a capacity of 148.
The Total number of convicts is 2, which includes one common law convicts and 1 militancy related.
The Total number of undertrial prisoners is 241 among them 147 are common law prisoners and 94 militancy-related prisoners.
The total number of prisoners in Special Jail (Correctional Home) Pulwama is 172. The total number of convicts is zero, the capacity of the jail is 96.
The total number of prisoners in District Jail Kishtwar is 51 and all are males. The total number of convicts is zero. Total undertrial prisoners are 48 among them 38 are common law prisoners and 10 are militancy-related prisoners. The total intake capacity of District Jail Kishtwar is 68.
The total number of prisoners in Sub Jail Hiranagar is 159 and all are males. The total number of convicts is 2 which includes 1 common law convict and 1 militancy related.
The Total number of undertrial prisoners is 152 among them 140 are common law prisoners and 12 are militancy-related prisoners. The total intake capacity of Sub Jail Hiranagar is 234.
The total number of prisoners in Sub Jail Reasi is 58 and all of them are males. Total number of convicts is zero. Total number of undertrial prisoners are 58 and all are common law prisoners. The total intake capacity of Sub Jail Reasi is 26.
32 Prisoners are lodged in Jails across Uttar Pradesh and eleven in Haryana. Hundreds of Kashmiris were shifted to Jails in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh during the abrogation of special status of Jammu Kashmir last year in August.