‘Metal bar broken from window, turned into weapon’: Inmate killed at Delhi prison

On Monday afternoon, a 31-year-old inmate named Pradeep, who was serving time for robbery and Arms Act offenses, was fatally stabbed at Rohini Central Jail in Northwest Delhi. The attack occurred as he was returning to his barrack after visiting his family in the jail's meeting house. According to police, two other inmates named Harish and Karan, both in their late 20s, were responsible for the murder.

The accused allegedly used an aluminum bar, which they had removed from a jail window and sharpened, as a weapon. Upon discovering the attack, jail warders and Tamil Nadu Special Police personnel rushed to the scene and subdued the attackers. Pradeep, who had been in jail since 2024, suffered severe injuries and later died at BR Ambedkar Hospital.

The motive behind the killing is still under investigation, but police suspect it may be related to a dispute over dominance or a fight over banned substances. Harish and Karan had a previous altercation with Pradeep inside a jail van while returning from a court hearing a week prior. Both accused have prior criminal records, with Harish facing a murder case and Karan having 13 cases including robbery and snatching.

The Rohini jail, which is an extension of Tihar Jail, currently houses over 1,500 inmates despite a sanctioned capacity of around 600. In 2023, a similar incident took place where a gangster named Tillu Tajpuria was stabbed inside Tihar Jail.