9 Tihar jail officials suspended over extortion row, HC told

The Delhi High Court was on Wednesday informed that nine Tihar Jail officials were suspended and transferred for allegedly running an extortion racket in cahoots with inmates inside the prison.

A bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela granted eight weeks time to the state government and the CBI to file their status report in the matter and kept the matter on October 28.

After the allegations surfaced, the Delhi government said it initiated disciplinary action against nine jail officials who were placed under suspension and transferred under the relevant rules.

Allowing time to file a status report, the bench asked the government to circulate its advisory to all the jails in Delhi, including Tihar, Mandoli and Rohini.

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The court has been hearing a petition filed by a former inmate alleging extortion and safety and security issues of prisoners inside Tihar.

The bench had previously ordered the CBI to conduct a preliminary inquiry into the allegations.

The inquiry report indicated the involvement of inmates and jail officials in illegal and corrupt activities.

On August 11, the bench directed the CBI to file an FIR after terming the allegations as “astonishing”, requiring “prompt” and “serious” thinking on the part of the government.

On May 2, the principal secretary of Delhi government’s Home Department was directed to hold a fact-finding inquiry and find out the officials responsible for the administrative and supervisory lapses in Tihar.

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The bench was on August 11 informed by the government counsel that the department required some more time to complete the inquiry.

The court posted the hearing for today.

The petition before the court highlighted irregularities, illegalities, malpractices and misconduct not only on the part of the jail authorities but also on the part of the inmates.

The plea alleged in order to procure certain facilities within the jail premises certain persons inside and outside jails acted in cahoots with the jail authorities to extort money.

The court asked the CBI counsel to inform the officers to conduct the investigation not only on the conduct of the jail officials, but whoever was involved, including relatives of certain inmates and the petitioner himself.

The bench also referred to a report of the inspecting judge, Central Jail 8 and semi open prison, tendered to it in a sealed cover after a “thorough” inquiry, revealed “very disturbing facts” indicating criminal activities and irregularities in functioning of Tihar Jail.

The court said the inspecting judge’s report was based on several material, including certain call data records between persons outside and inside the jail aside from the misuse of jail’s official landline for “promoting nefarious activities”.

The report even doubted the conduct of the petitioner, the court noted.