Delhi's jails set for a virtual makeover: Video conferencing cubicles to surge from 100 to 840

Indian Express

29-05-2025

From 100 video conferencing cubicles at present to 840 in the coming month — the prison administration in Delhi is planning an expansion of the virtual meeting facility in the 16 central jails of the Capital within three prison complexes.
The move, said officials, will not only help prisons in presenting inmates virtually before courts but also in arranging online meetings between inmates and their families and friends under the e-mulaqat initiative.
At present, the three prison complexes in the Capital — Tihar, Mandoli, and Rohini — have around 20,000 inmates, and approximately 2,000 inmates are produced in court every day. Inmates can be presented virtually before courts in a large number of hearings, according to officials. In some cases, where cross-examination is required, the inmates need to be presented before the court in person.
The Delhi Armed Police, which is responsible for ferrying prisoners, has to ensure security arrangements every time the inmates have to be taken to courts. 'Enhanced videoconferencing facility will mean that costs can be saved,' an officer said.
The official added, 'Work has already started and is likely to be completed within a month.'
The expansion was earlier expected to be completed by May 30. But the installation will now take at least a month to lay down LAN (local area network) wires. Optical fibres already installed can only accommodate a maximum of 400 V-C systems, including those being used for official purposes within the office of the prison administration, according to officials aware of the matter.
'The procurement of computer systems has begun. After the tender is passed, the digging work will also begin to lay LAN wires. The survey is already done. Since 840 systems will be in use, the LAN wiring has to be expanded. The 840 cubicles will be spread across the 16 jails depending on the strength at each jail,' the official said.
In the recent past, several high-profile inmates have sought the videoconferencing facility. Recently, 26/11 terror attack key conspirator Tahawwur Rana, who is currently in judicial custody in the city, moved an application to speak to his family members on the phone and through webconferencing.
Last year, Aaftab Poonawala, accused of killing his live-in partner Shraddha Walkar, moved an application before the Saket court, requesting to allow all his court hearings through video conferencing due to a security threat.
He moved an application days after one of the associates of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, arrested on charges of killing Maharashtra politician Baba Siddique, had reportedly informed the Mumbai Police that they were planning to kill Aaftab.