The Sewa Sadan complex in Narela, which houses the Lampur detention centre for foreign nationals, is under renewed scrutiny following a series of security lapses and persistent concerns over its dilapidated infrastructure. Currently holding more than 300 detainees, more than any other facility in the Capital, the centre, spread across 18.5 acres, has been repeatedly flagged by courts and human rights bodies for poor sanitation and a lack of accountability, even after its management was transferred to Delhi Prisons last year.
In September, the Global Detention Project, a non-profit, raised concerns regarding detention centres in Delhi, placing Lampur detention centre under the ambit of particular concern.
In January 2025, a committee constituted by the Delhi government’s Home Department examined the proposed transfer of the centre from the Social Welfare Department to Delhi Prisons.
Previous recommendations
The committee recommended a revamp of the building, additional manpower, training for prison staff, better coordination with security agencies, greater use of technology and improvements to the drainage system. An official associated with the committee told The Indian Express that the sewers were choked and the drainage system needed to be improved. The centre was described as being housed in a building approximately 50 years old and in a dilapidated condition. At the time, it housed 209 detainees, including Bangladeshi, Nigerian and Pakistani nationals.
In April 2025, Taranjit Singh Sandhu approved the transfer of the centre’s management and operations from the Social Welfare Department to Delhi Prisons. The transfer covered 15.6 acres of the 18.5-acre Sewa Sadan complex. The move followed the Ministry of Home Affairs’ recommendation that the facility be brought under the Home Department, which also oversees Delhi’s prison administration.
However, official records from 2026 indicate that substantial infrastructure work was still being undertaken after the transfer.
Repair and renovation
In April, the Public Works Department floated a tender worth Rs 4.28 crore for repair and renovation of the Lampur Restriction/Detention Centre at the Sewa Sadan complex. The proposed work included covering corridors and lobbies with heavy-duty metal grills and bars in Blocks 1 and 5, constructing guard rooms for Blocks 1, 2 and 5, and building a pathway along the outer boundary. The tender, published on April 23, specified a 90-day execution period.
The Delhi government’s own expenditure records also show that the renovation was a continuing financial priority. A monthly progress report for the 2025-26 financial year, covering April to December, allocated Rs 20 crore for the renovation of the Lampur centre. Expenditure recorded against the allocation stood at Rs 5.558 crore, or 27.79% of the budgeted amount.
NHRC report
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has previously recorded complaints about the treatment of foreign detainees at the centre.
In its 2022-23 annual report, the commission listed complaint number 2851/30/3/2022, concerning alleged harassment of foreign detainees and irregularities at Lampur. The complaint specifically alleged that inmates who were unwell were not taken to hospital despite medical personnel advising that they required treatment. It also alleged that police personnel had taken detainees’ money and personal belongings for their own use.
The NHRC’s spot-enquiry records show that a team visited the facility between October 19 and 21, 2022, to investigate the allegations.
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In February 2021, the Delhi High Court directed the Delhi government’s Social Welfare Department to take immediate remedial measures after receiving an inspection report prepared by a judicial officer who had visited the facility.
HC flags deficiencies
The court specifically flagged deficiencies in cleanliness, hygiene and medical facilities, along with other shortcomings mentioned in the inspection report. It directed the department to file a detailed status report, accompanied by photographs and videography showing the condition of the centre before and after the remedial measures.
The inspection and subsequent court intervention raised questions about the basic living conditions of those confined there, including access to healthcare and sanitation.
The resurfacing of these concerns in 2025 suggests the facility’s problems have persisted across different administrative arrangements
Security arrangements and accountability under scrutiny
The centre has also faced questions over its security arrangements and the coordination between the agencies responsible for its functioning.
In July 2025, the Delhi High Court asked the Ministry of Home Affairs to conduct an inquiry into an incident involving foreign nationals accused of attempting to escape from the centre in February 2024.
During the proceedings, the court expressed surprise that CCTV footage from the facility had not been made available to investigators. It noted that the Social Welfare Department claimed the CCTV system was managed by the Central Reserve Police Force, the (CRPF) said it was under the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), while the FRRO attributed responsibility to the Social Welfare Department.
The question of security resurfaced in March 2026, when a group of detainees allegedly held a doctor and prison personnel hostage during a routine outpatient department visit.
Hostage situation
According to the para-military force FIR registered at Narela police station, the incident took place around 11.30 AM on March 16, when a doctor, accompanied by two prison officials, entered Block 1 to provide medical services. The detainees allegedly prevented them from leaving and subsequently held other officials, including the centre’s in-charge, hostage.
Police personnel were called in after negotiations failed to resolve the situation. The FIR stated that the detainees later pelted prison staff and police personnel with stones and pieces of bricks as officials attempted to evacuate those held inside. Several officials, including an Intelligence Bureau security assistant and an FRRO assistant Sub-Inspector, sustained injuries.
Authorities identified seven detainees as being involved in the incident, four of whom were alleged to have been directly responsible. An FIR was registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and the investigation was under way, according to a report by The Tribune.
