I was watching the much talked about show Black Warrant recently, and just minutes into the show I was shocked to see the character of Charles Sobhraj on the screen. I am glad I got into the show without knowing much about the prison or the inmates. I mean, of course, I had heard about Charles, Maqbool Bhat, Ranga-Billa, but didn’t know that they all had their stint at Tihar.

IMDb

Tihar is undoubtedly the most well-known prison in the country. So naturally, there have been countless famous and infamous figures who were once the prisoners of this jail. Some political leaders, some student protesters, some business tycoons, and many notorious criminals have lived and breathed under the same roof.

Here’s a list of some of those high-profile cases and the prisoners accused of them.

1. Subrata Roy

Growing up, I used to see the founder of the Sahara Group, Subrata Roy’s poster everywhere. Apart from his main business, he also owned film studios, sports teams, and airlines in his prime. He was sent to Tihar Jail in 2014 over allegations of financial irregularities involving billions of rupees.

The Week

2. Chhota Rajan

After Dawood Ibrahim, the name that comes second when talking about Indian gangsters is probably Chhota Rajan. One of the country’s most infamous underworld dons, Chhota Rajan, has been incarcerated in Tihar since 2015 after his dramatic arrest at the Bali Airport.

3. Afzal Guru

Convicted for his role in the 2001 Indian Parliament attack, Afzal Guru was lodged in Tihar Jail until his execution in 2013. His case remains one of the most debated and controversial in modern Indian history.

NDTV

4. A Raja

The man said to be behind the infamous 2G scam. He was accused of giving licenses to telecom operators at very low prices without a free and fair bidding process which caused a loss of ₹1.76 lakh Cr to the government. In 2011, A Raja was placed in judicial custody at Tihar Jail.

ET

5. Ranga-Billa

The second episode of Black Warrant is one of the most haunting pieces of filmmaking I have seen in my life, and the episode deals with the infamous execution of Ranga-Billa. Kuljeet Singh (alias Ranga Khus) and Jasbir Singh (alias Billa) were involved in the kidnapping and subsequent murder of siblings Geeta and Sanjay. I won’t tell much about the case, but the episode is a must-watch.

HT

6. Suresh Kalmadi

Once a prominent politician, Suresh Kalmadi’s involvement in the Commonwealth Games 2010 scam led to his arrest and imprisonment in Tihar Jail in 2011. He was accused of giving out a ₹141 Cr contract to Swiss Timing for its timing equipment. The deal was said to be inflated by Rs 95 crores.

Indian Express

7. 4 men convicted for the Nirbhaya case

December 16, 2012, is one of the darkest days of our nation’s history. Nearly 7 years after the incident, the four men convicted for the 2012 Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case were executed in Tihar Jail.

ET

8. Sushil Kumar

Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar was arrested along with his associates for allegedly thrashing and killing Sagar Dhankar,  a young athlete. After being imprisoned in Tihar Jail in connection he started working as a fitness and wrestling coach for prison inmates.

TOI

9. Milkha Singh

Yes, our beloved flying Sikh. You must have heard a lot of politicians and activists going to Tihar, but you don’t expect someone so revered like Milkha to be there. As the story goes, he was sent to the Tihar Jail once for traveling without a ticket on a train. It is also said his sister sold her jewellery for Milkha’s bail.

TOI

There are, of course, countless others, some of whose names might surprise you. Let us know if you want a second part of this.