'Wailing Ghost' Reportedly Terrifies Inmates in Indian Women's Prison

Inmates at a women’s prison in the Tihar Jail prison complex in Tihar Village, Delhi, India have reportedly had repeated encounters with the ghost of a mysterious, wailing woman, according to an August 2nd article in The Times of India.

A ghostly wailing is said to be heard every night around 2 a.m in Barrack Number 6., sometimes accompanied by the apparition of a woman. The haunting terrifies the inmates enough that they begin “screaming and crying” in anticipation of the event as its time approaches, and it’s said to be so disruptive that it is preventing the women from sleeping at night.

The source of the strange sound has not yet been determined, but some rumors say that the prison is haunted by a former inmate who committed suicide—perhaps under duress for having been falsely accused of her crimes—and who now wanders the prison complex, displaying her distress through plaintive wailing. In contrast, skeptics so far blame hallucinations and mass hysteria for the outbreak of reports among the inmates.

A similar case was reported in India earlier this year, when at least five girls attending a government high school in India's Nainital district were reported to be “possessed” in early February.

Officials with the town and school eventually decided to bring in a priest, known as a ‘Jagariya,’ to perform a ritual using ‘Jagar,’ a type of ancestor worship, to exorcise the spirits; although Brij Mohan Sharma, a rationalist and scientist at the Society of Pollution and Environmental Conservation Scientists, dismissed the spiritual activities associated with the incident as superstition.

To report a sighting, reach out to us directly at the Singular Fortean Society through our contact page.

If you enjoyed this article and would like to support the Singular Fortean Society, please consider becoming an official member by signing up through our Patreon page—membership includes a ton of extra content and behind-the-scenes access to the Society’s inner workings.