Tihar to Open

If its proposal to the Home Ministry for the grant of a semi-open jail facility is granted, Tihar will join the ranks of 30-odd jails in the country.

If its proposal to the Home Ministry for the grant of a semi-open jail facility is granted, Tihar will join the ranks of 30-odd jails in the country. Should that happen, up to 600-700 inmates stand to benefit, says Tihar jail spokesperson Sunil Gupta. The prisoner will be allowed to leave the prison premises for work during the day and be required to return to jail after work. The option will be available only to convicted prisoners who have prison terms between five and ten years and have finished more than 80 per cent of their term. The move is a step towards decongesting an already overcrowded prison space. With a population of 10,856, its occupancy stands at 74 per cent. As part of the decongestion programme, a new prison is also being built in East Delhi.

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Pallavi Polanki