Jails have occupied an important place in the history of the world, as they have been used to keep the society safe by housing the most vicious of criminals within their boundaries. A widely populated country like India has a large number of jails, some of which are extensive in size and have thousands of criminals in them. Some of the Indian jails also make it in the list of largest ones in the world.
Here is the list of top 5 biggest central prisons in India:
5. Rajahmundry Central Prison
Rajahmundry Central Prison in Rajahmundry of Andhra Pradesh is regarded as the fifth largest jail in the country, in addition to being one of the oldest too. It is housed in a huge fort spread over an area of 196 acres, which was built by the Dutch in 1602, which was converted into a jail by the British in 1864 and later into a central jail in 1870.
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4. Naini Central Prison
Also known as the Naini Central Qaid Khana, this jail in Uttar Pradesh figures as the fourth biggest jail in India. This open jail is located in Naini, which is situated close to Allahabad and has been constructed during the period of British Rule in India. It has the capacity to occupy as many as 3000 inmates, which is a huge number.
3. Puzhal Central Prison
Situated in Tiruvallur near Chennai, the Puzhal Central Prison comes on number 3 on the list of the top 5 biggest jails in India. The prison, which became functional in 2006, can house up to 3000 prisoners, making it one of the largest in size in the country. It is spread over an area of 212 acres and constitutes of three complexes of buildings, which are allocated to remand prisoners, convicts and women, respectively.
2. Yerwada Central Jail
Featuring next on the list of top 5 biggest jails in India is the famous Yerwada Central Jail in Pune, Maharashtra. This high security prison is not only the biggest in the state, but also counted among the largest in South Asia. The jail campus, which occupies a huge area of 512 acres, adjoins the Yerwada Open Jail too. It can have up to 3600 persons and is famous for having been the jail where Mahatma Gandhi was imprisoned during 1930’s and 1940’s in the pre independence era.
1. Tihar Central Jail
There is hardly anyone in the country who might not have heard of the Tihar Central Jail, the largest one in the country as well as South Asia. This maximum security jail in the national capital of Delhi has been operation since 1957 and has the tremendous capacity of 5200 prisoners. The jail works a correctional institution rather than a prison and aims to change the inmates into righteous persons by the means of education and imparting training in professional skills. Not only this, the prison has an industry within its complex, which is run by the inmates and endeavors to raise the level of self esteem in them and reform them as responsible citizens of the country.
All these prisons are considered the biggest and the best in terms of size as well as standards provided for the inmates housed therein. They aim to reestablish the trust of the nation in the legal system of the country.
Santosh Kumar is a Professional SEO and Blogger, With the help of this blog he is trying to share top 10 lists, facts, entertainment news from India and all around the world.