The number of prisoners in South Asia's largest prison Tihar Jail here has climbed to 12,000 with 1,500 more wrong-doers lodged in it last year. Over 55,000 wrong-doers were sent to the prison last year. Out of this, 53,500 inmates were released, adding 1500 inmates to the prison population, jail officials said.
"The ten jails of Tihar Prisons have a sanctioned capacity to keep 6,250 inmates. However, at present there are nearly 12,000 inmates lodged there," Sunil Gupta, spokesperson Tihar Prisons, said. 19 high-profile inmates including several politicians and businessmen are also lodged inside the prison.
The 1,500 inmates who added to the overcrowded prison population include former Telecom Minister A Raja and sacked CWG Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi. Tihar is one of the largest prison complex in the world comprising nine central prisons and one District Prison at Rohini Prison Complex.