Over 18,000 inmates in C'garh jails; 17 of them over-crowded

Over 18,000 inmates are currently lodged in jails in Chhattisgarh as against the capacity of 12,063 as on October 31, 2019, the Legislative Assembly was told on Wednesday.

A total of 18,281 inmates are lodged in jails against their existing total capacity of 12,063, Home Minister Tamradhwaj Sahu stated in a written reply.

Chhattisgarh has five central jails, 12 district jails and 16 sub-jails, he said.

"17 of the total jails, including all the five central jails, five district jails and seven sub jails, are overcrowded. In the remaining 16 jails, inmates are less than the capacity.

"The central jail in Raipur houses 3,057 prisoners as against the capacity of 1,190, while the central jail at Durg has 1931 inmates as against the capacity of 1606.

"Similarly, the central jail at Bilaspur houses 3,142 prisoners though it has facility to keep only 1,540.

The central jail at Jagdalpur (Bastar) houses 2,407 inmates and one at Ambikapur (Sarguja) 2,284 as against the capacity of 1351 and 1020, respectively," the reply said.