Draft:Sunil Kumar Gupta (prison administrator)

Gupta began his career at Indian Railways before joining Tihar Jail in 1981 as an assistant superintendent despite lacking the typical physical stature for prison officers and having no initial vacancy for his position.{{cite web |last= |first= |title=Netflix's Black Warrant: Real-life jailor Sunil Gupta on meeting serial killer Charles Sobhraj 'I was stressed because…' |url=https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/netflixs-black-warrant-real-life-jailor-sunil-gupta-on-meeting-serial-killer-charles-sobhraj-i-was-stressed-because-13854106.html |website=Firstpost |date= 19 January 2025|access-date=19 June 2025}}{{cite web |title=From Tihar to Netflix: The Story of Sunil Kumar Gupta and Black Warrant |url=https://www.news18.com/movies/from-tihar-to-netflix-the-story-of-sunil-kumar-gupta-and-black-warrant-aa-9204232.html |website=News18 |date=10 January 2025 |access-date=15 June 2024}} He became official spokesperson in 1992.{{cite web |last= |first= |title=Black Warrant: Is Sunil Kumar Gupta a Real Tihar Jailer? Where is He Now? |url=https://thecinemaholic.com/black-warrant-sunil-kumar-gupta/ |website=The Cinemaholic |date= 10 January 2025|access-date=19 June 2025}}

During his tenure, he supervised 14 executions including: the 1982 hanging of Ranga and Billa for kidnapping and murder; the 1984 execution of Satwant Singh and Kehar Singh, assassins of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi; and the 2013 execution of Afzal Guru for the 2001 Indian Parliament attack.{{cite news |title='Black Warrant': A compilation of unheard stories of Tihar |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/lifestyle/books/2019/Nov/28/black-warrant-a-compilation-of-unheard-stories-of-tihar-2068397.html |newspaper=The New Indian Express |date=28 November 2019 |access-date=15 June 2024}} Before Guru's execution, the convict noted "compassion in Gupta's eyes," leaving a lasting impact on the jailer.

In 1986, Gupta received a three-month suspension after an inquiry confirmed security lapses enabled Charles Sobhraj's escape. His significant reforms included:

• Establishing Tihar's first legal aid cell providing free assistance to disadvantaged inmates
• Initiating special court sessions within the prison to expedite minor cases
• Drafting the Delhi Prison Act and Manual (1988) that governed operations for three decades
• Implementing vocational programs under Kiran Bedi that reduced recidivism by 15%{{cite book |last=Bedi |first=Kiran |title=It's Always Possible: Transforming One of the Largest Prisons in the World |publisher=Steele Publishers |year=1998 |isbn=978-81-7530-001-9 |location=New Delhi |pages=117–120}}

Despite overseeing executions, Gupta later opposed capital punishment, stating: "Poor are hanged because they cannot afford good lawyers."{{cite news |title=Sunil Kumar Gupta: 'I'm against death penalty, poor are hanged because they cannot afford good lawyers' |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/sunday-times/all-that-matters/sunil-kumar-gupta-im-against-death-penalty-poor-are-hanged-because-they-cannot-afford-good-lawyers/articleshow/117560259.cms |newspaper=The Times of India |date=5 May 2024 |access-date=15 June 2024}} He documented preferential treatment for influential inmates like Subrata Roy, alleging authorities ignored complaints about contraband smuggling.

In 2013, Gupta received his first President's Correctional Service Medal for distinguished prison service.{{cite news |title=3 Tihar jail officials get President's medal |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/3-tihar-jail-officials-get-president-s-medal-113081401232_1.html |newspaper=Business Standard |date=14 August 2013 |access-date=15 June 2024}}

After retiring in 2016, Gupta became an advocate at the Supreme Court and Delhi High Court, continuing his advocacy for underprivileged prisoners. His reform initiatives include: video-conferencing infrastructure that decreased prisoner transfers by 40% (implemented Delhi-wide by 2021);{{cite press release |title=President presents Correctional Service Medals |url=https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1600895 |publisher=Press Information Bureau, Government of India |date=26 January 2020 |access-date=15 June 2024}} gender-sensitive policies adopted by 7 states by 2023;{{cite news |title=India Vision Awards honour social reformers |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-vision-awards-honour-social-reformers/article65998456.ece |newspaper=The Hindu |date=15 October 2022 |access-date=15 June 2024}} and anti-torture campaigns reducing custodial deaths by 22% in Delhi prisons (2016–2024).

He received his second President's Correctional Service Medal in 2020 and the India Vision Award in 2022 for these reforms.

{{Main|Black Warrant (book)}}

Co-authored with Sunetra Choudhury and published by Roli Books (2019), the memoir details Gupta's prison experiences. Key content includes execution protocols, VIP treatment scandals, and accounts of: the 1978 Chopra kidnapping case that triggered Delhi's legal reforms;{{cite web |title=Chidambaram? No. Billa-Ranga convicts in 1978 crime that changed Delhi |url=https://theprint.in/pageturner/excerpt/chidambaram-no-billa-ranga-convicts-in-1978-crime-that-changed-delhi/328535/ |website=ThePrint |date=28 November 2019 |access-date=15 June 2024}} Sikh inmate protection during 1984 anti-Sikh riots;{{cite web |title=How Tihar jailers protected Sikh inmates after Indira Gandhi assassination |url=https://theprint.in/pageturner/excerpt/how-tihar-jailers-protected-sikh-inmates-after-indira-gandhi-assassination/317865/ |website=ThePrint |date=31 October 2019 |access-date=15 June 2024}} and Nirbhaya case institutional responses.{{cite web |last=Bhuyan |first=Arup |title=In a book about convicts sentenced to death, a jailer reveals details of Afzal Guru's final hours |url=https://scroll.in/article/945001/in-a-book-about-convicts-sentenced-to-death-a-jailer-reveals-details-of-afzal-gurus-final-hours |website=Scroll.in |date=18 November 2019 |access-date=15 June 2024}}

The Financial Express called it "a detailed account of Delhi's prison system," while The Hindu noted its "critical analysis of correctional administration."{{cite news |title=Behind the high walls |url=https://www.thehindu.com/books/behind-the-high-walls/article30033254.ece |newspaper=The Hindu |date=7 December 2019 |access-date=15 June 2024}} It won the 2020 Publishing Next Industry Award for Non-Fiction.{{cite web |title=Winners 2020 |url=https://publishingnext.com/awards/winners-2020/ |website=Publishing Next Industry Awards |access-date=15 June 2024}}

In June 2020, Vikramaditya Motwane acquired adaptation rights, co-producing with Confluence Media. The Netflix series Black Warrant premiered on 10 January 2025. Directed by Motwane and Satyanshu Singh, the seven-episode series dramatizes Gupta's early career (1981–1984), featuring key events like the executions of Ranga-Billa and Kashmiri separatist Maqbool Bhat, and Charles Sobhraj's imprisonment.{{cite web |last= |first= |title=Real-life jailor Sunil Gupta from Black Warrant recalls his first encounter with serial killer Charles Sobhraj: 'I thought he was a senior officer' |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/real-life-jailor-sunil-gupta-from-black-warrant-recalls-his-first-encounter-with-serial-killer-charles-sobhraj-i-thought-he-was-a-senior-officer-9778367/ |website=The Indian Express |date=13 June 2023 |access-date=19 June 2025}}

{{cite news |title=Inside Tihar Prison: How Netflix's 'Black Warrant' Brings India's Most Infamous Jail to Life |url=https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/netflix-black-warrant-tihar-jail-1236272459/ |work=Variety |date=1 December 2025 |access-date=15 June 2024}} Zahan Kapoor portrayed Gupta, with Rahul Bhat as DSP Tomar and Siddhant Gupta as Charles Sobhraj.{{cite news |title=Netflix's 'Black Warrant' Trailer Unlocks the Formidable Gates of Tihar Jail |url=https://about.netflix.com/news/netflixs-black-warrant-trailer-unlocks-the-formidable-gates-of-tihar-jail |publisher=Netflix |date=3 January 2025 |access-date=15 June 2024}} Gupta served as consultant, noting:

"The series captures institutional realities while taking necessary creative liberties."{{cite news |title=Real stories need fictional treatment sometimes |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/black-warrant-sunil-gupta-interview-8388829/ |newspaper=The Indian Express |date=12 January 2025 |access-date=15 June 2024}}

The series received critical acclaim for its authenticity and performances. The Indian Express called it "as gritty and real as possible" in depicting Tihar's ecosystem,{{cite news |title=Black Warrant review: Insider account of Tihar Jail is as gritty and real as possible |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/black-warrant-review-insider-account-of-tihar-jail-is-gritty-as-real-as-possible-9771268/ |newspaper=The Indian Express |date=10 January 2025 |access-date=15 June 2024}} while The Tribune noted its "unflinching honesty in portraying power dynamics and corruption."{{cite news |title=Black Warrant review: behind the bars of Tihar |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/2526012/black-warrant-review-behind-the-bars-of-tihar |newspaper=The Express Tribune |date=2 February 2025 |access-date=15 June 2024}} Zahan Kapoor's performance drew comparisons to his grandfather Shashi Kapoor for its vulnerability and depth.{{cite news |title=Black Warrant review: Zahan Kapoor reminds you of the best of Shashi Kapoor |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/web-series/black-warrant-review-zahan-kapoor-reminds-of-shashi-kapoor-vikramaditya-motwane-sets-bar-for-2025-tihar-jail-netflix-101736498772745.html |newspaper=Hindustan Times |date=10 January 2025 |access-date=15 June 2024}} Some reviews noted narrative flaws including "occasionally veering into unnecessary subplots"{{cite news |title=Black Warrant Review |url=https://www.cnbctv18.com/entertainment/black-warrant-review-a-gritty-unflinching-dive-into-tihar-jail-thats-raw-and-thought-provoking-19537382.htm |publisher=CNBC TV18 |date=10 January 2025 |access-date=15 June 2024}} and "glamorization of notorious criminals."{{cite news |title=Stream or skip? |url=https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/stream-skip-black-warrant-netflix-153000640.html |work=Yahoo Entertainment |date=12 January 2025 |access-date=15 June 2024}} The series sparked national conversations about prison reform{{cite news |title=Black Warrant Web Series Review: Inside Tihar Jail! |url=https://vocal.media/geeks/black-warrant-web-series-review-inside-tihar-jail |website=Vocal Media |date=15 January 2025 |access-date=15 June 2024}} and entered Netflix's India Top 10 within three days of release.{{cite web |title=Black Warrant (TV Series 2025– ) |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt35064818/reviews/ |website=IMDb |access-date=15 June 2024}}

Gupta resides in Delhi with his wife Poonam Gupta, whom he acknowledged in his book for supporting him during his prison service. He maintains strict privacy about his family life due to security concerns stemming from his work with high-profile criminals.

Regarding the Netflix adaptation of his memoir, Gupta permitted creative liberties in dramatizing his story, including fictional elements like interpersonal relationships between jailers and a romantic subplot involving "Priya" – narrative devices not reflecting his actual relationships.{{cite news |title=Black Warrant makers on honest portrayal of Ranga-Billa case and the peacock scene |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/entertainment/ott/story/black-warrant-makers-on-honest-portrayal-of-ranga-billa-case-and-the-peacock-scene-exclusive-interview-vikramaditya-motwane-2671825-2025-01-31 |work=India Today |date=31 January 2025 |access-date=15 June 2024}}

He has described his career as emotionally taxing, particularly citing the 1982 Ranga-Billa execution as his most traumatic experience. Beyond prison reform, he actively addresses civic issues like Delhi's water scarcity, calling it "the biggest issue" affecting residents.{{cite news |title='My City, My Vote': Biggest issue is the water problem, says ex-Tihar spokesperson Sunil Gupta |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/my-city-my-vote-biggest-issue-is-the-water-problem-says-ex-tihar-spokesperson-sunil-gupta-9814046/ |newspaper=The Indian Express |date=23 May 2024 |access-date=15 June 2024}}

• Tihar Jail
• Capital punishment in India
• Kiran Bedi

{{Reflist}}

• [https://www.rolibooks.com/product/black-warrant/ Black Warrant at Roli Books]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Gupta, Sunil Kumar}}

{{Draft categories|

Category:1957 births

Category:Living people

Category:Indian non-fiction writers

Category:Indian legal writers

Category:Indian human rights activists

Category:People from Delhi

Category:Writers from Delhi

Category:21st-century Indian non-fiction writers

Category:Indian male writers

}}

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