Shocked by TOI report, NHRC puts lens on Tihar

NEW DELHI: Taking suo motu cognizance of TOI’s report on gangs of Tihar jail, National Human Rights Commission has issued notices to principal secretary (home) and director general (prisons) Alok Verma to give a report within the next two weeks.
The Commission has also authorized a senior superintendent of police in the investigation division to conduct an “immediate inspection” of Tihar Jail to probe into the happenings reported in the newspaper.The SSP will submit his report in a fortnight.
The statement issued by NHRC states that it has taken cognizance of the report mentioning around 20 gangs operating in Tihar, who facilitate mobile phones, coolers, porn magazines, etc and protection from sexual abuse to those prisoners who can pay them. They even plot crimes, including murder, both inside and outside the prison.
NHRC has also raised serious questions about the much-needed security infrastructure mentioning the report that around 17 deaths have taken place inside the jail in the last four months. It has also taken cognizance of the jail being overcrowded with 14,000 prisoners against the capacity of 6,250.
“The Commission has observed that the contents of the press report, if true, raise serious questions of human rights of the prisoners as well as people outside the prison. Accordingly, it has issued notices to the principal secretary (home) and the director general (prisons), the Delhi government calling for reports within two weeks,” the statement says.
On Tuesday, TOI had reported about gangs running the show in jail and how prison security stood compromised. It had highlighted how a bloody gang war had broken out inside Tihar’s jail number 1, when a group of six inmates attacked a rival with blades and improvised forks and spoons. At the end of the 10-minute fight—described by sources as a clash for supremacy between the chawanni and beedi gangs—the victim was fatally wounded while three of the attackers sustained grievous injuries.
Sources said that the frequent bloodlettings in Tihar this year and usage of mobile phones reaching an all time high confirmed the existence of these gangs. Delhi Police’s crime branch and special cell have busted around half a dozen gangs operating from jail and using multiple mobile phones from inside the prison to coordinate with gang members.
Jail sources acknowledged that gangs have existed in Tihar since decades, but of late they have started to function in an organized manner. The press report mentioned how Haddi gang, Atte gang, Kikri gang, Bawania gang, Ravi Dabolia gang, Bidi gang and Chawanni-Atthanni gangs were amongst the many functioning in jail providing peaceful existence, supremacy and access to banned stuff.
Tihar administration said they were taking all measures to curb the supply of banned stuff in the prison premises.