Delhi government plans to shift 'hardened' prisoners to jails in other states to curb organised crime

Moving them outside Delhi aims to isolate them, preventing them from influencing witnesses, disrupting trials, or conspiring from behind bars.

To curb organised crime in the national Capital, the Delhi government plans to shift "hardened and notorious" prisoners to jails in other states, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Sunday.

According to a Chief Minister's Office (CMO) statement, the government identified 188 members of 26 gangs in May 2026, arresting 107 of them. (File Photo/ANI)

According to a Chief Minister's Office (CMO) statement, the government identified 188 members of 26 gangs in May 2026, arresting 107 of them.

Despite being jailed, these "hardened criminals" exploit prison welfare facilities and local networks to run extortion rings, orchestrate targeted killings, trigger gang wars, and expand alliances, the CMO said.

The chief minister said the move aims to enable the inter-state transfer of such prisoners in the interest of prison security, law and order and public interest, while strengthening cooperation among states in tackling organised crime.

Currently, the Transfer of Prisoners Act, 1950, and the Prisons Act, 1900, only allow the interstate transfer of convicted inmates, restricting undertrials to local custody.

To bypass this legal hurdle, the Delhi government intends to implement the Transfer of Prisoners (Punjab Amendment) Act, 2025. This framework will allow the interstate transfer of high-risk undertrials either through mutual state consent or with approval from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the CMO said.