Chandigarh, May 16 -- Describing the suicide by 15 prisoners in Haryana in 2024 as "alarming and disturbing", the Haryana Human Rights Commission (HHRC) directed the state government to submit reports listing the steps taken for prevention of custodial suicides. Taking suo-motu cognisance of findings reflected in the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) "Prison Statistics India-2024" report, the HHRC said that the increasing incidents of suicides, unnatural deaths, prison violence, mental health crisis, overcrowding and inadequate psychological support systems in Haryana prisons is "a grave human rights concern". In its May 13 order, the HHRC bench headed by justice Lalit Batra (retired) sought reports from additional chief secretary (ACS-home), ACS (health) and DGP (prison), pointing out that prisoners and under trial inmates cannot be deprived of their constitutional rights to live with dignity, health protection and mental healthcare guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India merely because they are incarcerated. The commission observed that the latest NCRB statistics indicate that stronger, structured and sustained intervention is still required for prisoners' mental healthcare and emotional rehabilitation. While ACS (home) has been directed to submit state-level policy measures adopted for prevention of custodial suicides, prison violence and mental health crisis in prisons, and the steps undertaken by the state government for implementation and monitoring of provisions of the Haryana Prison Rules, 2022, relating to inmate welfare and mental healthcare. The HHRC has directed ACS (health) to submit a report of jail-wise availability of psychiatrists, psychologists, counsellors, medical officers and mental health professionals in prisons across Haryana and their frequency of visits. The DGP (prisons) has been directed to furnish jail-wise details of unnatural deaths, suicides, attempted suicides, violent incidents, inmate clashes and firearm-related incidents during the last three years. The DGP (prison) report will also contain the present occupancy position of all prisons in Haryana vis-a-vis sanctioned capacity and steps undertaken to address overcrowding and measures adopted to prevent custodial violence. The matter will come up for resumed hearing on August 13....