The Gauhati High Court has intervened sharply over the worsening state of affairs inside Assam prisons, taking suo motu note of multiple crises ranging from soaring HIV infections and severe overcrowding to a lack of mental healthcare, inmate suicides, and prolonged delays in processing remission requests. The Bench has scheduled the matter for further proceedings on October 8, 2026.
HIV Infections and Severe Overcrowding at Guwahati Central Jail
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Ashutosh Kumar and Justice Arun Dev Choudhury initiated the proceedings following disturbing disclosures about inmate welfare. Records placed before the court revealed that 38 inmates at Guwahati Central Jail, including five women, have contracted HIV. While the exact transmission route remains unconfirmed, authorities suspect the sharing of contaminated needles in certain instances. The infected individuals are currently receiving antiretroviral therapy at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital. Furthermore, an inspection conducted by the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Kamrup Metro on August 2 uncovered that the facility, built to house 1,400 people, was crammed with 1,672 prisoners, including 77 women. That same inspection logged 31 HIV-positive inmates, one tuberculosis case, and 19 prisoners undergoing psychiatric care.
Widespread Distress and Unnatural Deaths Across Regional Jails
The judicial scrutiny also encompassed an inspection report from the Member Secretary of the Assam State Legal Services Authority, which laid bare extreme congestion across several district facilities. In specific locations, up to 45 inmates were reportedly confined to a single compact room containing only one toilet, with conditions being particularly critical in the Nalbari, Dhubri, Hailakandi, and Sribhumi district jails. Additionally, prisoners belonging to other states who were housed in the Sivasagar and Dhubri facilities complained of being denied access to mobile phones or alternative means of communicating with their families. The Bench expressed deep dissatisfaction over the state of mental healthcare, noting that visits by psychiatrists remain irregular and insufficient. Tragic incidents of unnatural deaths were also scrutinized, including three suicides by convicts at the Nalbari District Jail and similar occurrences at the Udalguri facility. Court materials indicate that 27 unnatural deaths and suicides have been recorded across Assam prisons over the past five years.
Delays in Remission Decisions and Court Directions to Authorities
Another major focal point for the High Court was the persistent backlog in deciding remission applications submitted by life convicts. Inmates had grievances regarding their paperwork remaining stalled before the Remission Board for periods spanning two to three years. Minutes from the State Legal Review Board meeting held on March 19, 2026, revealed that out of 58 life imprisonment cases reviewed, only one was approved, while 32 proposals submitted in 2025 were sent back. In response to these wide-ranging administrative and welfare failures, the Bench instructed the departments in charge of prisons and health to file a detailed affidavit outlining remedial actions taken and planned. Additional Advocates General P.N. Goswami and B. Gogoi appeared to represent the state departments and present the government response.
Broader Context of HIV Cases Linked to Substance Use
The legal intervention unfolds against a backdrop of escalating HIV numbers among incarcerated populations throughout Assam. Earlier figures indicated that between April and July 2026, a total of 226 prisoners across 31 state jails tested positive for HIV. Officials have previously noted that roughly 95 percent of those detected cases stem from backgrounds involving injecting drug use rather than conclusive evidence of transmission occurring exclusively within prison walls.
