At 49, Gujarat had highest number of prisoners on death row in 2022: NCRB
At 49, Gujarat had highest number of prisoners on death row in 2022: NCRB
AHMEDABAD: At the end of 2021, the Gujarat prisons had eight inmates on the death row of which five were awarded capital punishment or death sentence in the same year. The year 2022 completely changed the picture with the number of inmates on death row shot up to 49 – 41 were awarded the punishment in 2022.
It was the highest single-year addition for any Indian state, according to the Prison Statistics India (PSI) report of 2022 by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). Uttar Pradesh (30) and Jharkhand (27) were two other states with more than 25 death sentences.
Experts point at the judgement of 2008 serial blasts last year as the primary reason for the phenomenon – 38 of the 49 convicts in the case were awarded death sentences by the judiciary. The incident on July 26 had claimed 58 lives in Ahmedabad and was considered one of the biggest terror attacks in India in recent times.
With the update, Gujarat is second across the country with inmates on death row at 49, whereas Uttar Pradesh had the highest 95 such inmates. The report indicated that there was no execution across the country in the calendar year of 2022.
The report also highlighted overcrowding and understaffing of state prisons. According to the report, as of December 31, 2022, the state prisons had 16,611 inmates against the capacity of 14,065 indicating 18% more inmates than capacity. The share however was much higher at sub-jails at 39% and central jails at 29%.
Against the sanctioned strength of 3,756 jail officers and personnel, the state had 2,241 or 60% of the present staff. The overall 40% vacancy rate was as high as 57% for the officers from IPS cadre to assistant jailor level. “While some posts were filled up in 2023, efforts are on to reduce the vacancy,” said a senior state official.
At 99, Gujarat had the highest number of undertrials of Pakistan origin. In all, the state had a marked diversity in inmates from other countries – the undertrials included 31 from African nations including Nigeria, 31 from Middle Eastern nations, 15 from Bangladesh, two each from Myanmar and Nepal, and one from Canada.
For more news like this visit TOI. Get all the Latest News, City News, India News, Business News, and Sports News. For Entertainment News, TV News, and Lifestyle Tips visit Etimes