NCRB: 8,800 undertrials jailed over 5 years in India
More than 8,800 undertrial prisoners in India had spent five years or more in jail, according to the NCRB's year-end 2024 data (8,886 as of December 31, 2024).
Among them are well-known names like Sharjeel Imam and Umar Khalid, who have been held under tough laws for their alleged roles in the 2020 Delhi riots case.
The bigger picture: Undertrials made up 72% of India's prison population at the 2024 year-end (NCRB 2024 data).
Experts, CJI flag judges' bail hesitation
Most of these long detentions come down to slow court processes and strict bail rules.
Legal experts say the system needs a rethink, with calls for fairer bail conditions and faster trials.
Even then, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud has flagged how trial judges hesitate to grant bail, which just keeps people waiting behind bars longer than necessary.