 "Tihar jail moving out of Delhi? A look at its history and infamous inmates")
New Delhi’s Tihar Jail, India’s largest prison complex, is set to be relocated to the city’s outskirts. The decision, announced by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta in the 2025–26 Delhi Budget, comes amid longstanding concerns over overcrowding, security, and prison conditions. A ₹10 crore allocation has been set aside for survey and consultancy services to facilitate the move.
What is the origin story of Tihar Jail?
Tihar Jail, officially known as Tihar Prisons, was established in 1958 as a small prison in Tihar village near Delhi. It was originally designed to accommodate criminals from the Delhi region, as the existing jail infrastructure was inadequate. Initially, the prison functioned under the administrative control of Punjab, despite being geographically located in Delhi.
Following India’s independence, Delhi was reorganised as a Union Territory in 1956, but it did not immediately gain administrative control over its institutions, including prisons. The Punjab government continued to retain its custody of Tihar Jail during this transitional phase, reflecting similar arrangements in other parts of India where prisons were managed based on state boundaries.
This continued until 1966, when the Government of India reorganised state boundaries and transferred the control of Tihar Jail from Punjab to the new Delhi administration. The shift aimed to enable more localised management and reforms tailored to a rapidly urbanising and politically significant region. The transition allowed the Delhi government to implement policies suited to the needs of its diverse inmate population and improve prison administration.
Over the decades, Tihar has been expanded many times to accommodate an increasing population of inmates. By 1980, overcrowding had become a serious issue due to the increasing crime rate in the capital. In an effort to counter it, new jails were added to the Tihar complex. It now comprises nine jails and has a sanctioned inmate capacity of 5,200. But the numbers have always exceeded this, with recent figures putting it at over 14,000 inmates, which has set alarm bells ringing over living conditions and security.
Who have been the famous inmates at Tihar?
Over the years, Tihar Jail has housed some of India’s most high-profile criminals, political figures, and activists. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was recently imprisoned in connection with the excise policy-linked money laundering case. Gangster Chhota Rajan, once a close associate of Dawood Ibrahim, was also held in Tihar for crimes including murder.
Former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav served a 14-year sentence for the fodder scam, and international serial killer Charles Sobhraj was imprisoned in Tihar before escaping and being rearrested in Goa.
Other well-known figures who have spent time in Tihar include former Union Minister P Chidambaram, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, Afzal Guru, and Kashmiri separatist Maqbool Bhat, both of whom were executed in Tihar.
The jail has also held political prisoners such as Anna Hazare and Arvind Kejriwal during their Jan Lokpal Bill protests, Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee following student demonstrations at JNU, Sahara India Pariwar’s Subrata Roy over financial irregularities, and Olympian wrestler Sushil Kumar in connection with a 2021 murder case.
What have been the controversies surrounding Tihar?
Tihar Jail has been in the news frequently for controversies surrounding violence, corruption, and security breaches. The murders of gangsters Prince Tewatia and Sunil 'Tillu' Tajpuriya in 2023 exposed grave security lapses, with prison officials not being able to prevent gang rivalries from escalating into fatal attacks.
Corruption within the prison system has also been a major issue. In one such instance, the then Delhi minister Satyendar Jain was seen in viral leaked videos receiving massages from other inmates, drawing outrage over special treatment for VIP inmates. There have also been instances of some high-profile inmates living in luxurious conditions and availing illegal privileges within the jail.
Tihar Jail has also been linked to organised crime, with inmates allegedly running extortion rackets from within its walls. Overcrowding has only exacerbated the problem, leading to poor living conditions and making it difficult for authorities to maintain order. Judicial bodies, including the Supreme Court, have repeatedly criticised the jail’s management, calling for urgent reforms.
Additionally, serious security lapses have allowed weapons and contraband to be smuggled inside the prison, as reported by several media outlets over the years. These breaches have contributed to violent incidents and strengthened gang networks within the jail.
What are some of the famous escapes from Tihar Jail?
Tihar Jail has witnessed many dramatic escapes over the years. One of the most famous cases was in 1986, when serial killer Charles Sobhraj broke out after drugging the prison officials. He and six other inmates laced sweets with sedatives, knocked the guards unconscious, and fled in a smuggled car before being recaptured later.
In addition to that, Sher Singh Rana, Phoolan Devi’s killer, escaped in 2004 after one of his associates pretended to be a police officer and got him released just minutes before real police officers arrived.
Another mass jailbreak occurred in 1976, when 13 prisoners fled via a tunnel—one of the earliest major lapses in Tihar’s security. In 1983, ten prisoners broke out by utilising fake identity cards and posing as jail officials. More recently, in 2015, two prisoners fled from Jail No. 7 after the morning roll call, though one was apprehended soon after.