24×7 CCTV watch on other four

“We have ensured that the remaining accused do not end up in solitary confinement. If they stay alone,they will develop suicidal tendencies. So in these kind of cases we provide them company. This will also help us ensure they are always monitored by fellow inmates,” said Tihar jail spokesperson Sunil Gupta.

Jail officials believe Singh had planned his suicide days in advance. They suspect Singh may have prepared his noose in advance and hidden it from his fellow inmates. It is suspected Singh may have taken at least 2-3 days to decide how he would end his life.

Jail officials suspect Singh observed the movement of his cell mates and the guard on patrol for a few days before apparently deciding to hang himself.

The inmates in their statement to the inquiry committee are believed to have suggested that Singh may have hidden the noose under his mattress. During their interrogation,the inmates have claimed Singh did not exhibit any signs of being depressed or planning suicide.

“There is a small verandah outside the cell where Singh was lodged with the other three prisoners. On Sunday afternoon,all of them walked for long hours in the verandah. At dinner time,when he had four rotis,he also discussed about his five-year-old son with the other inmates,” said a jail official.

About 10 days back,Singh had also reportedly spoken to the welfare officer of jail number 3 and sought permission to join the literacy programme ‘padho aur padhao’,the official added.

Singh’s post-mortem was conducted at AIIMS Tuesday afternoon after which his body was handed over to his family.

900 manage 12,500 prisoners in Tihar Jail

The largest prison complex in South Asia,Tihar Jail,is struggling to cope the number of prisoners lodged there.. The jail has a capacity of 6,250,but statistics reveal that nearly 12,500 inmates are lodged in the prison complex.

Staff crunch is the other main problem that Tihar is facing. The staff to prisoner ratio at present is 1:14,officers say. “We have about 900 staff members and 12,500 inmates,” PRO (Tihar) Sunil Gupta told Newsline.

According to National Crime Records Bureau,at total of 11,598 men are lodged in Tihar,when it has a capacity of 5,850 in the male wing. More than 500 woman prisoners are staying here,against a capacity of 400.

Also,the NCRB data reveals that the sanctioned prison staff for Delhi,in 2011-12,was 1,962.

The sanctioned budget for Delhi prisons in 2011-12 was reportedly Rs 14,093 lakh — the total expenditure was Rs 14,064 lakh. Delhi jails spent Rs 70,753 per prisoner,as opposed to states like Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan that spent Rs 12,716 and Rs 12,575 per prisoner,respectively.

A number of studies have been conducted on the problems of overcrowding and staff shortage in prisons. “Majority of the prisoners in jails are undertrials who are unable to fulfil their bonds. In many cases,courts take too long to pass judgment and this prolongs the stay of an inmate in jail. This is the main reason of overcrowding and can it can be dealt with only with speedy trials,” a senior officer working with the research wing of Bureau of Police Research and Development told Newsline.

“The jail staff is overworked. The judiciary has an important role to play here,” he said.