Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Friday registered a suo-motu petition with regard to overcrowded prisons and vacancies in prison department.
The court has taken up the petition following recent directions of the Supreme Court, which had expressed concern about overcrowding in prisons across the country and had asked all high courts to consider the issue a priority as it involves violation of human rights.
It is said that some prisons had inmates 150 per cent of their stipulated capacity.
The apex court had requested the chief justices of high courts to take up the matter suo-motu.
“It appears from the note given by amicus curiae that the issue of overcrowding in prisons is not being taken seriously by the prison authorities. There are several prisons where the overcrowding is well beyond 100 per cent and in some cases it exceeds 150 per cent,” SC had observed.
The SC had earlier taken strong exception to overcrowded jails and said that prisoners also have human rights and they cannot be kept in jails like animals.
