Pre Trial Detention: The Scandal of India's Overcrowded Prisons by Amisha Arora
India's criminal justice system has long been plagued by a backlog of cases, delays, and procedural challenges. One of the most significant issues is the problem of lengthy pre-trial detention, where individuals are held in jail for years on end awaiting their trial. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, as of 2019, more than 70% of India's prison population was made up of under-trial prisoners. These individuals have been accused of a crime but are yet to be convicted, and their cases are still pending in the court. Many of them have been in jail for years, some even for longer than the maximum sentence for the crimes they have been accused of. The problem of lengthy pre-trial detention is not just a violation of human rights but also undermines the fundamental principles of the criminal justice system. The Indian Constitution guarantees every individual the right to a fair and speedy trial, and the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty. Howev