Role of 82 prison officials in crime syndicate run by conman Sukesh under scanner, Delhi LG okays EOW probe

Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has granted permission to Delhi Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) for probing the role of 82 prison officials under the Prevention of Corruption Act, in the organised crime syndicate being run by conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar from Rohini Jail. 

The LG has also noted that the Prison Department was under the now jailed AAP leader and minister Satyendar Jain. Under him, it was marred with "several serious controversies including confiscation of mobile phones from prisoners", following which jamming devices were installed in and around various jail premises recently, the LG Office sources said.

"Similarly, issues of overcrowding, violent clashes among inmates and prisoners jumping parole have put the department under a cloud. The case pertains to the extortion of Rs 200 crore by Chandrashekhar in collusion with jail officials," a source said.

The EOW had sought the permission of Saxena for investigating these officials under Section 17(A) of Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act, in a case which is already being investigated under various Sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) dealing with extortion, cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy as well as under special statutes including the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) and IT Act by the EOW.

"It is expected that with this move, investigations hanging since long will speedily and comprehensively be completed," the source said.

Chandrashekhar was lodged in jail number 10 of Rohini Jail at the time of the incident.

The EOW had informed that during investigation in the case, seven officers have already been arrested for facilitating the extortion syndicate being run by the accused. During investigation, it also found the involvement of another 82 officials who had colluded in running the syndicate from the prison.

Chandrashekhar, who is currently in Mandoli jail here, is accused of cheating many people, including high-profile individuals such as former Fortis Healthcare promoter Shivinder Mohan Singh's wife Aditi Singh of Rs 200 crore.

On August 17, the Enforcement Directorate filed a charge sheet naming Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez as an accused in a multi-crore money laundering case linked to Chandrashekhar.

According to the ED, Fernandez and another Bollywood actor Nora Fatehi received luxury cars and other expensive gifts from him.

In November last year, the Delhi Police had told a court here in a charge sheet that Chandrashekhar was using high-end mobile phone applications to spoof the landline numbers of government authorities to extort a large sum of money from several individuals from inside the Rohini prison.

Due to his habit of allegedly bribing jail officials, he has been shifted from one jail to another. He has stayed in Mandoli, Rohini and Tihar jails.

The Delhi Police had recently questioned Fatehi and Fernandez in connection with the matter.