Delhi L-G nod to CBI probe against former Superintendent of Tihar Jail

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 9

Lieutenant-Governor VK Saxena on Friday sanctioned a CBI inquiry against Raj Kumar, former Superintendent at Tihar Jail number 4, for allegedly extorting Rs 10 crore from conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar at the behest of then jail minister and AAP leader Satyendar Jain. The inquiry was sanctioned under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

Charges against Chandrashekhar

Conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar was lodged in Tihar as part of a Delhi police probe into allegations of extortion to the level of Rs 200 crore from various people. The Delhi Police Economic Offences Wing had earlier registered an FIR against Chandrashekhar for allegedly duping former Ranbaxy owner Shivinder Singh’s wife Aditi Singh. There are over 20 other cases of extortion registered against Chandrashekhar who operated a racket from inside his jail cell.

THE CASE

In November 2023, the CBI had sought from the L-G a sanction to prosecute suspended senior IPS officer and former DG, Prisons, Delhi, Sandeep Goel, his former deputy Mukesh Prasad and Raj Kumar, former Superintendent at Tihar Jail No. 4, where Chandrashekhar was lodged.

Kumar allegedly aided a high-profile extortion racket being operated by Chandrashekhar from Tihar Jail and in lieu of this he received protection money from the conman.

The matter is being investigated by the CBI and the request for prosecution sanction had come to the L-G, the competent authority in the matter, through the Directorate of Vigilance, Delhi Government.

The CBI is investigating charges by Chandrashekhar that Jain had extorted Rs 10 crore from him in various tranches during 2018 to 2021 either personally or through his accomplices, including Kumar.

The conman labelled this money as protection money that allowed him to ‘live peacefully across Delhi jails - Tihar, Rohini and Mandoli.

Kumar was a close associate of now suspended DG, Prisons, Delhi, Sandeep Goel and aided him in extorting money from Chandrashekhar besides himself trying to extort money through Paytm.

Former Delhi prisons chief Goel and his then deputy Mukesh Prasad too are accused of receiving Rs 12.5 crore in various tranches during 2019-22 from Chandrashekhar.

“Jain, Goel, Prasad and Kumar are accused of misusing their official positions as public servants in extending undue favour to Chandrashekhar and other high-profile inmates in Delhi jails in lieu of valuable considerations,” LG office sources said.

The Union Home Ministry had suspended Goel in December 2022 after Chandrashekhar’s sensational claims that he paid Rs 12.5 crore to Goel as protection money in Mandoli Jail, where he was lodged at the time.

Chandrashekhar also wrote to Saxena with another allegation that he paid Rs 10 crore protection money to Jain and had known Jain since 2015.

In his letter to the L-G, Chandrashekhar claimed that Jain visited him in jail where he was lodged following arrest in a ‘two leaves’ symbol corruption case. The conman had alleged that Jain visited him twice in jail, first in 2017 and then 2019, and asked for protection money.

“Jain asked me to pay Rs 1.5 crore to Goel every month as protection money to live safely in jail,” Chandrashekhar had claimed, adding that he paid Rs 10 crore to Goel.

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#Central Bureau of Investigation CBI #Satyendar Jain #VK Saxena