Behind Bars, Beyond Control: The Alarming Truth of Tihar's Extortion Empire

There's a disquieting hum, an unsettling buzz, echoing from the very heart of Delhi’s justice system, and it points directly towards Tihar — arguably India’s most infamous prison complex. Because, in truth, what’s unfolding there, or rather, what's allegedly been allowed to fester, is nothing short of an 'alarming' spectacle. We're talking about an entrenched extortion racket, operating right under the noses of authorities, seemingly with a rather casual indifference to rules and, frankly, common decency.

The Delhi High Court, for once, didn't mince words. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, her voice surely carrying the weight of deep concern, recently pulled no punches, calling the whole affair "very serious." And honestly, who could argue? This isn't just a one-off incident, a rogue bad apple in a vast, complex system. Oh no, the court has made it painfully clear: this pattern of illicit activities, particularly extortion, emanating from behind Tihar's high walls, is something of a persistent, troubling headache.

Picture this: a lawyer, a man of the law, mind you, suddenly finds himself on the receiving end of chilling phone calls. Calls not from some shadowy figure on the streets, but from an inmate, locked away in Tihar, brazenly demanding money. The threat? Harm to his client. It's a scenario that flips the script entirely, isn't it? One would expect Tihar to be a place of containment, a place where such direct threats would be utterly impossible, yet here we are.

And so, the court, exasperated perhaps, decided enough was enough. They’ve gone straight to the top, summoning the Additional Chief Secretary of the Home Department. Why? To demand a comprehensive status report, to seek concrete answers on what, precisely, is being done — or more accurately, not being done — to curb this blatant criminality. It’s a pretty stark indictment, really, of the current state of affairs within the jail administration.

The elephant in the room, of course, remains the ubiquitous mobile phone. How do these devices, these lifelines to the outside world, so routinely find their way into the hands of inmates? It begs a simple, yet profoundly disturbing question: is there, as the court hinted, a connivance, an unspoken agreement, with certain elements of the jail staff? One certainly has to wonder, doesn't one? Because without that kind of inside help, well, it’s a puzzle that simply doesn’t fit together.

The court, clearly keen on a long-term solution, stressed the absolute necessity of a robust, far-reaching policy. Something, anything, to finally address these systemic failures. And, in the interim, a specific inquiry into this latest incident involving the lawyer has been ordered, with the Director General (Prisons) tasked to report back. The next hearing, set for July 25, feels less like a formality and more like a deadline, a moment of reckoning, for those responsible. One hopes, truly, that this time, action follows the stern words, and Tihar can once again be seen as a place of incarceration, not a launchpad for crime.