Delhi government eyeing inter-State transfer of high-risk prisoners, undertrial gangsters: Chief Minister

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the presence of hardened criminals in Delhi poses a security concern. Photo: X/@HMOIndia. The Delhi government has drawn up a plan to transfer undertrial gangsters, organised criminals and other high-risk prisoners lodged in its jails to prisons in other States, saying the move would help curb organised crime and strengthen prison security. According to a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), the government proposes to implement the Transfer of Prisoners (Punjab Amendment) Act, 2025, in Delhi to enable the inter-State transfer of such prisoners. Under the proposed system, undertrial gangsters and other high-risk prisoners could be shifted from one State to another with the mutual consent of the States concerned or the approval of the Ministry of Home Affairs. Gap in frameworkThe proposal seeks to address a gap in the existing legal framework. The Transfer of Prisoners Act, 1950, provides for the inter-State transfer of convicted prisoners but not undertrials, whose custody is governed by remand warrants issued by trial courts. The Prisons Act, 1900, permits transfers only within a State. As of May 2026, Delhi had 188 members of 26 identified gangs, of whom 107 had been arrested, according to the government. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta cited the presence of “hardened criminals” in prisons as a security concern. The statement mentioned that some hardened undertrials continued to be involved in targeted killings, extortion, threats and criminal conspiracies from custody, and allegedly sought to influence witnesses and expand their networks. The government stated that transferring them outside Delhi could limit their access to local criminal networks and reduce interference with trial proceedings. Published - August 24, 2026 12:56 am IST