Suicide is a major cause of the 817 unnatural deaths reported in jails across the country between 2017 and 2021, the Supreme Court Committee on Prison Reforms has told the apex court
Referring to a judgement, the top court asked authorities not to arrest mechanically in cases where the maximum sentence is up to seven years of jail term.
The bench was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) taken up suo motu (on its own) on containing the spread of COVID-19 in prisons across Maharashtra.