Extortion case: Tihar probe finds officials helped conman block CCTV, 9 in the dock

Sukesh, who has been in Tihar and Rohini jails since 2017 for his alleged involvement in the Election Commission bribery case, was arrested last month from Rohini jail for allegedly extorting Rs 200 crore from former Ranbaxy promoter Shivinder Singh’s wife Aditi Singh. A fresh FIR was again registered against him by the Delhi Police’s Economic Offences’ Wing (EOW) for allegedly duping the wife of Shivinder’s elder brother, Malvinder Mohan Singh, of Rs 4 crore. Sukesh was re-arrested under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).

Sources in the jail department said senior officials initiated the internal inquiry to verify allegations levelled by Sukesh during questioning.

“During the inquiry, the jail administration found that Sukesh was using mobile phones and was helped by prison officials. They also found he was given extra favours… While in jail, he used his bedsheets as curtains for his barrack to avoid being caught on CCTV,” said a source.

So far, the EOW has summoned six jail officials, including two arrested jail superintendents, and has questioned them thrice.

“The jail administration has found the involvement of nine officials — a Rohini jail superintendent, three deputy superintendents, two assistant superintendents, one head warder and two warders. A letter was sent to the Delhi government’s Home department to initiate a proposal for departmental action against them,” said the source.

During questioning, Sukesh told police that he got an iPhone from his jail contacts and the phone’s settings were done by a vendor in Chennai. “Sukesh also disclosed his financial transactions with jail officials and claimed he was giving them Rs 65 lakh every fortnight. He said he had struck a deal with a jail official when he was arrested by the Crime Branch in connection with the Election Commission bribery case and moved last year to Rohini jail. A jail official collected the money from his associate regularly,” said the source.