The Haryana Human Rights Commission has taken suo-motu cognisance of findings in the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB)'s 'Prison Statistics India - 2024' report, directing senior state authorities to submit detailed explanations on custodial suicides and prison violence across Haryana jails. A bench comprising Chairperson Justice Lalit Batra (Retd) and members Kuldip Jain and Deep Bhatia passed the order on 15 May, setting a hearing date of 13 August.

Key Findings from NCRB Data

Haryana recorded 15 unnatural inmate deaths in 2024, all attributed to suicide, according to the report placed before the commission. Critically, Haryana was identified as the only state in India to record firearm-related violent clashes inside prison premises — a distinction that drew sharp concern from the bench. The NCRB data also flagged rising incidents of mental health crises, overcrowding, and inadequate psychological support systems in the state's correctional facilities.

Constitutional Rights of Prisoners

The commission underscored that prisoners and undertrial inmates retain their constitutional rights to dignity, health protection, and mental healthcare under Article 21 of the Constitution, regardless of incarceration. It emphasised that custodial institutions carry a constitutional obligation to shield inmates from self-harm, mental trauma, violence, depression, and social isolation.

The bench further noted that custodial suicides are substantially preventable through timely psychological intervention, regular counselling, psychiatric supervision, emotional rehabilitation, family support systems, grievance redressal mechanisms, and de-addiction treatment.

Prison Rules and Compliance Gaps

The commission specifically cited Rules 299 and 300 of the Haryana Prison Rules, 2022. Rule 299 mandates that sharp tools — including knives used in workshops, barber shops, tailoring sections, kitchens, and canteens — must not remain accessible within prison premises, with secure handling required for tools and poisonous substances. Rule 300 stipulates that inmates exhibiting suicidal tendencies must be kept under continuous watch, must not be left alone, and must be referred to a counsellor for psychological support.

Notably, during earlier inspections of District Jail Kurukshetra, women inmates disclosed that psychologists and social counsellors visited only once a month. The commission had previously directed weekly visits by psychologists and psychiatrists, and had issued directions to the Civil Surgeon of Kurukshetra and the prison administration to strengthen counselling mechanisms and involve psychology students in inmate rehabilitation programmes.

Authorities Directed to Submit Reports

The commission has directed the Additional Chief Secretaries of the Home and Jails Department and the Health and Family Welfare Department, the Director General of Health Services, and the Director General of Prisons to submit their reports at least one week before the next hearing on 13 August. Whether systemic reforms follow will depend on the quality and candour of those submissions.