Sukesh Chandrashekhar allegedly ran extortion rackets from his jail cell with help from officials
Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena authorised the Delhi Police to conduct an investigation into the role of eight prison officials in the case of an organised crime syndicate run by conman Sukash Chandrashekhar from Rohini Jail, a press release said on Wednesday.
The investigation will be conducted under section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption (PoC) Act, the statement added.
Considering the gravity of the matter and in the interest of justice, the L-G accorded approval to the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Delhi Police to conduct a probe against the eight jail officials of Delhi Prisons for the allegations against them, it said.
The official release further mentioned that the L-G's approval to conduct a probe against these eight already under-arrest Group B officials is in addition to the permission granted last year to probe the role of another 81 jail officials for helping Chandrashekhar for financial gains.
The release also informed that the jail officials who will now face probe under Sections 7 and 8 of the PoC Act are SP Sunil Kumar, SP Sunder Bora, DSP Prakash Chand, DSP Mahender Prasad Sundriyal, DSP Subhaash Batra, ASP Dharam Singh Meena, ASP Lakshmi Dutt, and ASP Prakash Chand.
According to the official release, it was found during the probe that these arrested jail officials not only ensured Chandrashekhar's comfort but also maintained his privacy, enabling him to operate mobile phones from the jail. This was allegedly done in exchange for pecuniary gains.
The investigating team examined footage from various cameras in Rohini Jail, cross-referenced duty rosters, scrutinised phone records, and relied on disclosures made by the accused. This revealed that the staff in question was strategically placed in Chandrashekhar's barrack with his consultation to help him carry out his criminal activities for pecuniary gains, the press release said.
From the analysis of Call Detail Records (CDRs) and Internet Protocol Detail Records (IPDRs) of phones seized, it was noted that Chandrashekhar was continuously in possession of two mobile phones, it added.
The release also said that in the investigation, it was found that money was paid to all these arrested staff, irrespective of their duties, as a bribe to ensure they kept themselves away from exposing Chandrashekhar and remained silent.
Violating the jail manual, a separate barrack was exclusively provided to Sukesh by these jail officials for pecuniary gains through ASP Dharam Singh Meena on a regular basis, the official release said.
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