KOLKATA: More than one-third of foreign prisoners in India are lodged in different jails across Bengal, the higest in the country. According to recent data released by the National Crime Records Bureau, a total of 1,746 foreign inmates are lodged in Bengal jails.
However, the total number of inmates in 2021 was marginally lesser than 2020 when 1,982 foreign inmates were lodged in Bengal jails. Bengal is followed by Delhi (659), Uttar Pradesh (589) and Maharashtra (542) accounting for 31.4%, 11.8%, 10.6% and 9.7% of the total inmates. A total of 5,565 foreign inmates - consisting of 4,646 males, 906 females and 13 transgenders - were confined in various Indian jails at the end of 2021.
Bengal has also lodged the highest number of convicted prisoners (329), followed by Uttar Pradesh (257), Delhi (61) and Himachal Pradesh (56) accounting for 30.5%, 23.8%, 5.6%, 5.2% of total convicts.
The highest number of female foreign convicts were lodged in jails of Bengal (73), followed by Uttar Pradesh (43) Maharashtra (10) and Delhi (7) out of a total of 151 female foreign convicts, who were lodged in various jails acorss India as on December 31, 2020.
Naturally, the state has also lodged the highest number of undertrial prisoners (1,179), followed by Delhi (589), Maharashtra (502) and Uttar Pradesh (332) , accounting for 28.4%, 14.2%, 12.1% and 8.0% of the total number.
While 1,183 Bangladeshi are undertrials, another 406 were convicted. Nationals from Myanmar constitute the next big segment followed closely by Nigerians. There are 24 convicted nationals from Myanmar and another 50 are undertrials. There are 32 Nigerians undergoing trials, even as 17 have been convicted. The Bengal jails are lodging seven convicted Pakistani nationals and two more are undertrials. The rest are residents of various CIS and African (other than Nigeria) nations along with China.
The highest number of foreign nationals lodged in Bengal jails are in the 30-50-year age group with 244 inmates followed by another 208 in the 18-30-year-old age group.
State prison administration maintained that it was natural that Bangladesh - who share the biggest international border with its neighbour - will have the highest presence in jails. "It is easier to cross over and a section of the people still keep crossing without realizing the gravity of their fine. They are also aware of the consequences if they get caught," explained an official.
Bengal shares a 2,216-km border with Bangladesh and those caught entering the country illegally are usually booked under Foreigners Act, and can be imprisoned for several years.
