Work on high-security prison in Delhi set to start next month

Delhi has awarded a tender for its first high-security prison in Narela, set to begin construction in February 2024, aimed at housing high-risk inmates.

NEW DELHI

A view of the currently crowded Tihar Jail. (HT Archive)

The Delhi government has awarded the tender for the construction of the city’s first high-security prison at Narela last week, and work is likely to start in February, once final clearances are in place, officials aware of the matter said on Tuesday.

“The tender was awarded to a construction company last week. We are hopeful that the work will begin mid-February,” an official said.

The project aims to build a state-of-the-art facility designed to house high-risk prisoners in isolated cells, addressing chronic overcrowding in existing jails across the national capital. The new prison, set to come up on around 40 acres at Tikri Khurd village in Narela, is planned to accommodate 250-300 inmates in individual, highly secure cells built to international standards, senior officials involved in the project said.

The project was expected to be completed by the end of 2026, but it may take “some more time,” an official said.

Officials said the facility will be designed to prioritise surveillance and security, and cells will be made to ensure high-risk inmates cannot see or interact with one another—to prevent collusion, formation of gangs and violence inside the prison.

For instance, gangster Tillu Tajpuria was stabbed over 100 times and a message was left with his blood on the walls at Jail No. 8 of Tihar Jail on May 2, 2023. In another incident, on November 30, 2020, an associate of the Neeraj Bawana gang was stabbed to death by four rivals.

High-tech security features, such as biometric locks, video surveillance, body scanners, and walls exceeding 20 metres in height, will further deter contraband smuggling and security breaches, officials said.

The complex will also include dedicated administrative blocks, medical facilities, spaces for court appearances and video-conferencing rooms to facilitate virtual hearings. Accommodation for key prison staff and security personnel will be provided within the compound to ensure round-the-clock monitoring.

According to officials, the central government shall be funding the project on 100% grant basis, but if any expenses go beyond ₹100 crore, the Delhi government will bear it. The central government had already transferred ₹10 crore on February 1, 2024.