Nagpur, May 27 -- Maharashtra ranked fifth in the country in terms of unnatural deaths in prisons, with eight such cases reported during 2024, according to the Centre's annual Prison in India report.
A total of 1,960 prisoners died across 1,333 prisons in the country during the year, of which 166 were categorised as unnatural deaths.
Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number at 26, followed by Haryana (15), Delhi (12), Rajasthan (9) and Maharashtra (8).
Of the eight unnatural deaths reported in Maharashtra, six were suicides, while two inmates were allegedly killed by fellow prisoners.
The report said 5,11,542 inmates were lodged in prisons nationwide in 2024.
Though the prison population declined by 3.5 per cent, concerns persisted ov...