Amazing facts about Tihar Jail

Tihar Prisons, also called Tihar Jail and Tihar Ashram, is the biggest composite of prisons in South Asia. It is situated at Tihar village, about 7 km from Chanakya Puri, to the west of New Delhi, India. The nearby area is called Hari Nagar.
The prison is maintained as a Correctional Institution. Its main purpose is to change its inmates into usual members of the civilization by providing them with helpful skills, education and rules. It is meant to improve the inmates' self-esteem and strengthen their desire to improve. Items produced by the inmates bear the brand Tihar.

History of Tihar Jail

Initially it was a highest security jail run by the State of Punjab. In 1966 control was transferred to the National Capital Territory of Delhi.
While Kiran Bedi was the Inspector General of Prisons, and had the Tihar Prisons below her authority, she instituted a number of prison reforms, including changing the name to Tihar Ashram. She also instituted a Vipassana meditation program for both staff and inmates. The initial classes were given by S. N. Goenka. The Prison has yielded an inmate who has passed the Indian Administrative Service civil service examinations.

nmates work in the furniture section of Tihar Jail

Intimate work at Bakery of Tihar Jail

Intimate work at Bakery of Tihar Jail

Paper making at Tihar Jail

Tailoring at Tihar Jail

Metal work at Tihar Jail

Famous inmates of Tihar Jail

Charles Sobraj, an international criminal, escaped from this prison on March 16, 1986, but was recaptured soon thereafter and returned to Tihar Prison with an additional ten year term of imprisonment for the escape. He was released on completion of his term on February 17, 1997. Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh who is the convicted murderer of Daniel Pearl spent several years in this prison in connection with 1994 Kidnappings of Western tourists in India.

Ripun Bora, the education minister of Assam Tarun Gogoi-led Cong. government, who is the main accused of one Daniel Topno murder case, was arrested by CBI officials on June 3, 2008, sent to this jail on June 7, 2008.

All the accused in the 2G Spectrum case are now lodged in the Tihar Prison. Former Telecom Minister A. Raja, and M. K. Kanimozhi who is the daughter of DMK leader M. Karunanidhi are currently two of the most infamous prisoners in the jail. They were sent to the jail by Supreme Court for their alleged involvement in the 2G spectrum scam in India.