Tillu Tajpuriya Killing: Is High-Security Tihar Prison In Mess?

The Tihar Jail in Delhi, one of the largest and most secure prisons in South Asia, has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Gang wars have been reported from inside the prison walls, raising questions about the involvement of prison officials and the effectiveness of the security apparatus.  In the latest incident, the notorious gangster Tillu Tajpuriya, also known as Sunil Maan, was stabbed to death by a `sua` (weapon) by fellow inmates on Tuesday morning, marking the second such gang-related incident in the past 15 days.

Previously, on April 14, another infamous gangster, Prince Tewatia, was killed by fellow prisoners with a self-made sharp edged weapon in the same Tihar Jail. Tewatia was involved in 16 criminal cases, including murder, attempted murder, and a recent carjacking case in southwest Delhi. With Tihar overcrowding with the inmates, especially gang leaders and their members, fights for dominance have also become frequent, according to the sources. On September 10, 2021, an inmate was injured during a clash. An undertrial prisoner, Sumit Dutt, lodged in ward number 2 of central jail 3, was assaulted with sharp weapons by two other inmates identified as Brijesh and Bilauta. According to police, the reason behind the clash was dominance inside the jail. In August 2021, a 29-year-old gangster, Ankit Gujjar, was killed inside his cell. A deputy superintendent of jail number 3 was booked for his murder.

However, an official said that the gang leaders and members are transferred to other jails, Rohini or Mandoli jails, to avoid any untoward incidents. But, Tihar has has been facing widespread humiliation for more than last one year. On November 17, 2022, at least 28 prison officials posted in jail number 7 were transferred for allegedly giving favours to prisoners. Among those transferred were two deputy superintendents, three assistant superintendents, seven head warders and 16 warders. These transfers came after the suspension of Ajit Kumar, the superintendent of jail number 7, for allegedly circumventing rules to give special facilities to jailed AAP leader Satyendar Jain.

In 2021, over 40 jail officials were booked by various law enforcement agencies for extending benefits to prisoners. Since then, three new mobile towers, or jammers, were installed inside the jail premises in an effort to prevent the use of electronic gadgets by the inmates. Apart from these towers, over 7,000 CCTV cameras were installed in all the jails to keep a close eye on the inmates. But despite all the stringent measures in place, the Gogi gang members were able to kill Tajpuriya inside the prison. These instances leave only questions in mind... till when will these activities go on?