He wasn't supposed to be there. On May 7, 1981, a young man named Sunil Gupta quit his stable job at Northern Railways to report for duty at Tihar Jail. When he arrived, the Superintendent looked at him and said there was no vacancy. Just like that. In most stories, that’s where the career ends. But Tihar isn't most places.
As Gupta stood there, confused and holding his appointment letter, a "smartly dressed man in a tie" approached him. The stranger took the letter, disappeared for an hour, and came back with everything sorted. That man? It was Charles Sobhraj, the "Bikini Killer."
This was the introduction Sunil Gupta Tihar jailer had to the world of Indian corrections. A world where a high-profile inmate had more pull than the administration. For the next 35 years, Gupta didn't just work in Tihar; he became its memory. From witnessing the first steps of dreaded criminals to the final gasps of those on death row, his story is basically the history of Indian justice, warts and all.
The Man Who Handled the Black Warrants
What is a Black Warrant? Honestly, it's the most chilling document in the Indian legal system. It's a form with a black border that authorize the execution of a prisoner. Most people in the prison service go their whole lives without seeing one. Sunil Gupta saw 14.
He didn't just see them; he was responsible for the logistics of the hangings. He saw the "anatomy of a hanging" up close—the weighing of the prisoner, the testing of the rope with sandbags, and the final walk to the gallows.
The Execution of Afzal Guru
The hanging of Afzal Guru in 2013 was a turning point for Gupta. It was his last "Black Warrant." He often talks about how Guru was different from other death row inmates. Usually, they are catatonic or hysterical.
Guru was sipping tea. He was even singing.
📖 Related: Sweden School Shooting 2025: What Really Happened at Campus Risbergska
Gupta recalls Guru singing a 1960s Bollywood song: "Apne liye jiye toh kya jiye, tu ji ae dil zamane ke liye." (What is living if you only live for yourself? Live for the world).
It’s a haunting image. A man about to be hanged, sharing tea and a song with his jailer. Gupta has been vocal about the controversies here. He points out that Guru didn't have a high-profile lawyer. He’s often said that in India, the gallows are mostly reserved for the poor who can't afford the best legal defense.
Living with the "Super IG" Charles Sobhraj
You've gotta understand how weird Tihar was in the 80s. Charles Sobhraj didn't just stay in a cell; he basically ran the place. Gupta describes Sobhraj’s cell as looking more like a "studio apartment." He had other prisoners acting as his servants. He even cooked his own food.
How? Money and brains. Sobhraj knew the law better than the lawyers. He would draft petitions for fellow inmates and even for the jail staff. He "bought" the loyalty of the guards.
When Sobhraj escaped in 1986, it wasn't a Mission Impossible-style breakout. He basically threw a party, drugged the guards with sedative-laced sweets, and walked out the front door. Gupta saw this systemic rot firsthand. It’s why he eventually pushed so hard for reforms.
The Mystery of Ram Singh and the "Suicide" Label
One of the biggest bombshells in Gupta's career—and his book Black Warrant—is his take on Ram Singh. Singh was the lead driver in the 2012 Nirbhaya gang-rape case. In 2013, he was found dead in his cell. The official report said suicide.
👉 See also: Will Palestine Ever Be Free: What Most People Get Wrong
Gupta doesn't buy it. Not even a little bit.
- The Height Factor: The cell ceiling was 12 feet high.
- Physical Limitations: Ram Singh had a rod in his hand; he couldn't have climbed to tie the noose.
- The Cellmate: There were other people in the cell. How does someone hang themselves silently in a crowded room?
Gupta has hinted that it was more likely a murder—or at least a situation where the "system" wanted him gone. It’s a controversial stance, but Gupta isn't someone who cares about being "politically correct."
Turning Tihar into a "Hospital"
If you think Gupta is just a guy with macabre stories, you're missing the point. He eventually became the Legal Advisor and Spokesperson for Tihar. He was a protégé of Kiran Bedi during her famous stint as IG of Prisons.
He helped turn the jail from a "warehouse of criminals" into a place that at least tried to reform.
- Legal Aid Cells: He started the first legal aid cell so poor inmates could actually talk to a lawyer.
- Video Conferencing: He pushed for video links between the jail and the courts. This stopped the "escapes" that often happened during transport.
- Campus Placements: Believe it or not, Gupta helped organize job placements for prisoners who were about to be released.
- Gender Equality: He fought to give women prisoners the same "semi-open" jail privileges that men had.
He’s the only legal officer in the Indian prison system to receive the President’s Correctional Medal for Meritorious Service. That’s a big deal.
The Bitter End of a 35-Year Career
You’d think a man who dedicated his life to the system would get a grand send-off. Nope.
✨ Don't miss: JD Vance River Raised Controversy: What Really Happened in Ohio
Just a week before his retirement in 2016, Gupta was served a chargesheet. It was about an unsettled bill from ten years prior—for electronic items he hadn't even ordered. Gupta claims this was "punishment" by the then DGP, Alok Verma, because Gupta had complained about the VIP treatment being given to Sahara chief Subrata Roy.
In Tihar, if you don't play along with the corruption, the system bites back.
What Most People Get Wrong About Tihar
People think Tihar is a monolith of iron bars and stone walls. Gupta shows it's a living, breathing ecosystem. There’s a hierarchy. There’s "caste" in jail. There are "Numberdaars"—prisoners who act as mini-bosses to help the guards.
The biggest misconception? That everyone inside is a monster.
Gupta spent decades with these people. He saw Maqbool Bhat (the Kashmiri separatist) as a "learned, pious man" who helped him practice his English. He saw the humanity in people the rest of the world had written off.
Why Sunil Gupta Matters Today
In 2026, the conversation around prison reform is louder than ever. We're still dealing with overcrowding (Tihar often holds double its capacity) and the "VIP culture" that Gupta exposed. His book Black Warrant—and the Netflix series it inspired—basically stripped away the curtain.
If you want to understand the reality of the Indian justice system, you have to look through the eyes of the man who held the keys.
Actionable Insights from Gupta’s Journey
If you're interested in criminal justice or just the life of Sunil Gupta Tihar jailer, here’s how you can engage with the topic more deeply:
- Read the Source: Pick up Black Warrant: Confessions of a Tihar Jailer. It's co-authored with Sunetra Choudhury and is much more detailed than any article can be.
- Watch the Context: Check out the Netflix adaptation. While dramatized, it captures the "vibe" of the 80s and 90s Tihar that Gupta describes.
- Support Reform: Look into organizations like the India Vision Foundation (started by Kiran Bedi) which continues the work of prisoner rehabilitation that Gupta supported.
- Question the System: Understand the "Black Warrant" process. Most prisoners on death row in India are "undertrials" for years before a final verdict, a systemic lag that Gupta fought to fix through video conferencing and legal aid.