“Indian jails have turned into a prison for people who are merely accused. It is unfortunate that political prisoners, get bail from the High court, but it is stayed by the Supreme Court and their bail arguments continue for months, even years.”
Human rights activist and journalist Gautam Navlakha offers a stark account of life inside India’s prisons, describing a system defined by deliberate neglect, overcrowding, and institutional apathy. Arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in connection with the Bhima Koregaon case, Navlakha spent years in judicial custody as an undertrial, reflecting the plight of thousands of undertrials who remain in detention for years without bail.
He recalls being quarantined in a school converted into a quarantine centre, overflowing during the pandemic, with minimal sanitation and poor ventilation, before being transferred to Taloja Jail, Mumbai. There, he witnessed limited access to clean water, food, and healthcare. He says that even basic medical or psychiatric care required legal intervention, exposing the deep administrative indifference that governs prison life.
Navlakha emphasises that most prisoners are not convicts but undertrials. Yet, they face the same or worse conditions. “The punishment,” he says, “begins long before the trial ends.” His observations underscore the urgent need for judicial and prison reforms, calling for accountability and humane treatment within India’s legal system.
Despite the harsh environment, Navlakha found moments of solidarity and shared humanity among inmates. Fellow prisoners, he notes, supported one another through illness, grief, and injustice, offering a sense of dignity in otherwise dehumanising conditions. His experience serves as both a personal testimony and a broader indictment of a system that punishes the poor and marginalised, even before justice is served.
Reporter: Apeksha Priyadarshini
Editor: Sudhanshu
Follow us:
Website: https://www.outlookindia.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Outlookindia
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/outlookindia/
X: https://twitter.com/Outlookindia
Whatsapp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaNrF3v0AgWLA6OnJH0R
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@OutlookMagazine
Dailymotion: https://www.dailymotion.com/outlookindia
#PoliticalPrisoners #UAPA #Prison #Judiciary #MentalHealth #TalojaJail
