Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: The Gauhati High Court has launched a probe into the failing conditions of Assam jails. Chief Justice Ashutosh Kumar and Justice Arun Dev Choudhury are spearheading the review. They demand a full accounting from the state. The court wants to see what the government plans to do about HIV outbreaks, severe overcrowding, and a string of prisoner suicides.
Reports show 226 inmates across 31 prisons tested positive for HIV from April to July 2026. Officials claim 95 percent of these cases stem from prior drug use. Yet, the Guwahati Central Jail situation is dire. 38 inmates there tested positive. They are currently getting treatment at the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital. The court noted: "the precise mode of transmission could not be immediately established, although the sharing of infected needles was suspected in some cases."
Overcrowding remains a major headache. An August 2 inspection found Guwahati Central Jail held 1,672 prisoners despite a 1,400-person limit. Conditions in Nalbari, Dhubri, Hailakandi, and Sribhumi district jails are worse. Inspectors found 45 prisoners packed into single rooms with one toilet. Inmates at Sivasagar and Dhubri also report being blocked from contacting their families.
Mental healthcare is failing. Inmates complain about spotty psychiatric visits. Official records confirm 27 unnatural deaths or suicides occurred in these jails over the last five years. Nalbari and Udalguri jails saw multiple deaths.
Remission processes have stalled for years. The court flagged the Remission Board for leaving life convict applications untouched for up to three years. Records from March 19, 2026, show officials rejected 32 proposals from 2025. Only one of 58 life imprisonment cases earned approval.
Additional Advocates General P.N. Goswami and B. Gogoi must now provide a detailed affidavit. The court set the next hearing for October 8, 2026.
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