Home / Crime and Justice / Punjab Jails Lead Nation in TB, HIV Fatalities Among Inmates
Punjab Jails Lead Nation in TB, HIV Fatalities Among Inmates
7 May
Summary
- Punjab and Haryana recorded the second highest number of unnatural prison deaths in 2024.
- Punjab jails saw the most inmate deaths from tuberculosis and HIV nationwide.
- Overcrowding and drug-related cases are significant issues in Punjab's prisons.
In 2024, Punjab and Haryana reported the second-highest number of unnatural prison deaths nationwide, with 15 deaths each. These two states accounted for nearly 18% of the 166 unnatural deaths recorded across India. Uttar Pradesh reported the highest at 26 deaths.
Punjab's correctional facilities experienced the most inmate fatalities due to tuberculosis and HIV. Nationally, over half of the 44 HIV-related inmate deaths and over 27% of the 88 TB-related deaths occurred in Punjab. No other state reported double-digit deaths from these diseases.
The report also highlighted significant issues of overcrowding in Punjab's 26 prisons, which housed over 30,000 inmates against a capacity of 26,543. This overcrowding correlated with a high number of inmate clashes, with Punjab reporting 47 such incidents.
