Would you believe it if I told you that Tamil Nadu has the highest number of Scheduled Caste (SC) undertrials in the country? Or if I told you that in Tamil Nadu, the proportion of Muslims in jails is more than double their share in the state’s population?
That is precisely what the Union government’s Prison Statistics India 2023 report, recently released, reveals. The Union Government publishes these statistics every year, though with much delay. The 2023 report has laid bare several shocking facts, especially concerning Tamil Nadu.
Look at these facts:
Prisons and Sub-Jails: Rajasthan tops the list with 155 prisons, followed by Tamil Nadu with 142. Tamil Nadu, however, has the highest number of sub-jails in the country (104).
Total detainees: Tamil Nadu tops the nation with 1,354 persons in detention, out of 3,916 across all 28 states—a staggering 34.6% of the national total, ahead of Jammu and Kashmir.
Of these, 10% are Muslims (136 persons), 10% are Christians (133 persons), and 571 are Scheduled Castes (42.1%). This is the highest proportion for any state.
The bias is evident even in the convict and undertrial populations.
According to the 2011 Census, Scheduled Castes form 20% of Tamil Nadu’s population. Yet, they account for 31% of both convicts and undertrials. Scheduled Tribes, just 1% of the state’s population, make up 2–3% of the prison population.
Similarly, while Muslims form 5.8% of the state’s population, they account for 13% of both convicts and undertrials. Christians, who make up 6% of the population, represent 10% of convicts and 11.6% of undertrials.
These figures contradict the widely held belief that Muslims are most targeted in northern states like Uttar Pradesh. In fact, in Uttar Pradesh, Muslims form 19% of the population but 26% of prisoners. In Bihar, they are 17% of the population and 14% of prisoners. By comparison, Tamil Nadu’s ratios are significantly worse.
What emerges is an unmistakable pattern: The prison population in Tamil Nadu is disproportionately composed of individuals from Scheduled Castes, Muslim, and Christian communities. Their ratios in the prison population are almost double their share in the state’s general population.
This points to deep caste and religious biases within Tamil Nadu’s law enforcement and judicial systems. It also raises serious questions about the functioning of the lower courts, particularly the diligence exercised in remand proceedings.
The Supreme Court, while hearing a petition on caste-based segregation of prison cells, has already observed that Tamil Nadu’s prison manual contains discriminatory directives. I have written to the Law Minister and the Chief Minister about the urgent need to reform it.
This latest report only strengthens the idea that caste bias is built into the very structures of law enforcement in Tamil Nadu.
The Chief Minister must take urgent cognisance of these shocking figures and initiate corrective measures. Tamil Nadu must not allow its prisons to become sites of institutionalised caste and communal discrimination.
Dr D Ravikumar is a Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) representing Villupuram constituency in Tamil Nadu.