Mumbai: Special NIA Court Rejects Undertrial’s Plea To Keep Long Hair For Religious Reasons, Cites Infection Risk

Mumbai, September 26, 2026 - Prisoners are not permitted to have long hair and beards as it can lead to health issues such as lice infestation, fungal infections and scabies among fellow inmates, which would necessitate extended treatment, according to prison officials. In response to this, a special NIA court dismissed the appeal of an undertrial prisoner who was requesting permission to keep his hair long.

Jerry Jacobs, an individual accused of involvement in a human trafficking scheme involving cyber frauds in Laos, had asked the court to instruct prison officials to avoid shaving his hair. He claimed that he and his family had made a vow to allow him to cut his hair only after offering it to their deity, emphasizing the sincerity of his request. The court, after receiving the application, asked the prison authorities at Taloja jail to provide a report.

However, prison officials opposed the application, arguing that long hair and beards could spread various diseases like lice infestation, fungal infections and scabies to the prisoner and other inmates. They also pointed out that only individuals who follow the Sikh religion are allowed to have long beards and hair.

The court took into account the prison officials' concerns and rejected the plea, stating that "given the contagious nature of these diseases, it would not be appropriate to instruct the jail authorities to accommodate the request." Additionally, they referred to the Jail Manual, which does not provide any specific relief for such requests.