Delhi govt proposes to decongest Tihar Jail

Seeking to decongest the over-crowded Tihar Jail, the Delhi government has proposed to add a floor to the single-storey complex which will double the capacity of the prison. The high-security Tihar Jail, one of India's largest prisons, currently houses around 10,500 prisoners against sanctioned capacity of around 7,000 inmates.

According to the authorities, there are nine jails in the complex of Tihar prisons. “Tihar Jail is currently over capacity. We have made a plan to add the first floor to the single-storey complex having several jails. A file regarding the proposal is before Home Minister Satyendar Jain,” a senior official said.

The official said that once the proposal is finalised, it will be sent to the Lieutenant Governor for his nod after which a first floor will be constructed, which would help decongest the jail. “The move will double the jail's capacity to house inmates,” the official added.

According to the government, some inmates of the Tihar prisons have been shifted to newly-constructed east Delhi's Mandoli Jail this year in order to reduce the burden on the central jail.

Last week, the Delhi high court had said that it was 'pained' by undertrials lan- guishing in Tihar Jail despite getting bail as they could not furnish a bond or surety due to poverty and issued a slew of directions to be followed by trial courts to ensure that such people get relief.

The court had also directed the judges of each district court who visit the Tihar Jail to ensure a list of undertrials, who have been granted bail but could not be released, is brought to the notice of the trial judge concerned.