CBI probes Tihar Jail extortion allegations

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a preliminary enquiry to probe allegations of extortion racket being run from the Tihar Jail and other prisons of Delhi, the agency told the Delhi high court that was hearing a petition filed by alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar.

In its status report filed before the court, the probe agency added that the complaint, filed on a source-based information, was at an initial stage, and CBI is still in the process of collecting documents and identifying witnesses.

“A source information on similar matter was received in the branch and CBI has registered a preliminary enquiry on April 16, 2024 on the basis of source information to enquire into the allegations of extortion racket being run from the Tihar Jail and other prisons of Delhi,” CBI told the court.

The three-page report filed by Suhail Sharma, IPS, superintendent of police, CBI on July 16 further said, “The enquiry is at the initial stage and documents are being collected and witnesses are being identified.”

The report came in response to a plea filed by Chandrashekhar seeking directions to the agency for registering a first information report (FIR) and investigating into the alleged extortion racket and nexus prevailing inside the Tihar jail in view of his complaint filed before the probe agency in March 2022.

In the complaint before CBI, Chandrashekhar alleged extortion and threat from DG prisons. His complaint stated that Tihar Jail officials were extorting money from jail inmates in the name of protection and comfortable stay in jail and even extorted ₹12.5 crore from him from December 2019 to June 2022 in various tranches. The complaint went on to add that he was being threatened to be killed in prison and to close the case as suicide in view of his statements given to the Delhi Police, Economic Offences Wing (EOW) and Enforcement Directorate.

The status report was filed by CBI in view of the high court’s April 2024 order directing the probe agency to file an updated status report. In November 2022, CBI filed a status report mentioning that EOW, Delhi Police, was investigating the matter.

Though the matter was listed before a bench of justice Amit Sharma on July 19, the court adjourned the same to November 18 after the probe agency represented by special public prosecutor Rajesh Kumar placed on record status report reflecting initiation of preliminary enquiry on the allegations made by Sukesh.