Minorities, marginalised communities overrepresented in Haryana’s prisons: Report
Chandigarh: The latest Prison Statistics India report has revealed glaring disparities in Haryana’s jail population, with Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Muslims incarcerated at rates far exceeding their proportion in the state’s population — reflecting deep-rooted socioeconomic and systemic inequities.
According to the data, of the 25,833 inmates lodged in Haryana jails as of December 31, 2023, 7,393 (28.6%) were from Scheduled Castes, and 3,502 (13.6%) were Muslims — both significantly higher than their population shares of 20.2% and 7% respectively. The figures highlight an enduring trend of overrepresentation of marginalized groups behind bars, also seen across India.
Among SC inmates, 1,496 were convicts, 5,868 undertrials, and 29 detenues, with undertrials alone forming over 30% of the total. Similarly, among Muslims, 768 were convicts, 2,548 undertrials, and 186 detenues — with Muslims making up 75% of all detenues in Haryana.
Congress MP from Ambala, Varun Chaudhary, said the figures “reflect the poor socioeconomic background of the Scheduled Castes, who must be provided proper legal aid.” Echoing similar concerns, Nuh MLA Aftab Ahmed noted that the disproportionately high incarceration of Muslims indicates “lack of jobs, poor education, and inadequate legal assistance,” forcing many into petty crimes due to systemic neglect.
Other communities also showed disproportionate representation. Sikhs comprised 8.1% of jail inmates, nearly double their 4.9% share in the population, while Christians formed 0.6% of inmates despite being only 0.2% of the state’s population. In contrast, Hindus accounted for 76.8% of total inmates against 87.5% of the state’s population.
Dr. Upneet Lalli, Head of Training and Research at the Institute of Correctional Administration, Chandigarh, said that the overrepresentation of SCs and Muslims in prisons is not unique to Haryana but part of a nationwide pattern linked to poverty, lack of education, and poor legal access. “In Haryana, many inmates come from outside the state, especially from NCR areas with high crime rates involving migrants,” she added.
At the national level, SCs constitute 20.3% of inmates despite forming only 16.6% of India’s population, while Muslims account for 17.5% of prisoners compared to their 14.2% population share — underscoring a broader structural imbalance in India’s justice system.
Human rights observers say the figures call for urgent policy reform, fair legal representation, and socioeconomic uplift to address the disproportionate criminalization of the poor and marginalized.
