Thiruvananthapuram: Even as Kerala boasts of its populace’s education and literacy, many convicted prisoners of sexual assault or murder are highly educated, reveals data received through the Right to Information Act indicating that education has nothing to do with moral judgments.
As many as 137 prisoners in the State have an educational qualification of an Under Graduate degree or more as per the information procured.
It is even more shocking to learn that 17 of the 28 prisoners serving the jail term for their sexual assault crimes have been convicted under violation of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. While thirty-seven prisoners have been convicted of murder charges, eleven are behind the bars for theft, and nineteen have been convicted for smuggling narcotic substances. Many have been convicted also for brawls, physical attacks, cheating, and forgery.
While considering the number of highly educated prisoners in the State, Kerala stands at the 16th position in India. 103 UG degree holders and 18 Post Graduates are currently in the State’s prisons in different places.
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Two of the prisoners have completed their M. Phil. while two MBBS graduates are prisoners at the Women’s jail in Thiruvananthapuram.
There are seven prisoners who have got degrees in technical education. One prisoner holds a Bachelor of Education (BEd) and another six have completed their professional degrees. One of the woman convicts at Thiruvananthapuram completed her UG and PG degrees after landing in the jail.
Meanwhile, experts opined there is no surprise element in the fact that there are many convicts who are highly educated. They say, highly educated persons who involve in crimes are likely to plan, conspire, and execute the crime more effectively.
It should also be noted that not many highly educated accused persons get nabbed by the investigators.
