13,451 prisoners in Delhi jails; 9 new jails being planned

New Delhi, Nov 13 (UNI) Even as the government has laid down plans to build nine new jails in the Capital, more than 13,000 prisoners are in Delhi's existing prisons, much beyond its stated capacity.

Of the total 13,451 inhabitants in the ten prisons of Delhi, till November 1, the largest chunk (10,833) is of undertrials. Of the rest, while 2,599 are convicts, 19 others are 'cell bound', according to official sources.

Of the nine new jails proposed, 68.5 acres of land has already been acquired at Mandoli -- where six jails would come up.

Narela, Ghitorni and Baaprola are other places where the other three jails have been planned, sources added.

Besides this, in the last six years more than a thousand illegally residing Bangladesh nationals have been found involved in criminal activities.

Of the total of 1,080 Bangladeshis convicted so far since 2001, 273 were arrested in 2005, 230 in 2004 and another 185 in 2003, said sources.

UNI AN PA BS1555