Tihar Jail, Indias largest jail, underneath scanner for extortion racket

Long notorious for power overcrowding, India’s largest and most high-security jail, Tihar Jail, is now underneath the scanner for an “extortion racket” working inside its 4 partitions, allegedly involving officers and inmates.

On August 11, the Delhi High Court, appearing on a petition filed by a former inmate, directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to register an FIR and examine what it described as “very disturbing and startling” allegations.

The case stems from a petition filed by businessman Mohit Kumar Goyal, who was lodged in Tihar Jail between June 4 and August 6, 2024, in reference to a dishonest case earlier than being granted bail. In his plea, Mr. Goyal alleged that in his two-month incarceration he was repeatedly coerced into paying “safety cash” by jail officers in collusion with sure inmates.

The former inmate instructed the court docket a few senior official warning him that refusal to pay up would invite dire penalties. Mr. Goyal alleged that the threats included being grievously harmed or having his face disfigured with a blade. He alleged that sure officers launched him to inmates, who acted as their operatives.

In the petition, filed via advocate Sachin, the businessman mentioned he was pressured to pay practically ₹15 lakh as extortion cash.

The modus operandi to extort cash from the inmates is to have their members of the family switch a set sum of cash to the kinfolk of the opposite inmates who’re a part of the alleged racket, Mr. Goyal instructed the court docket. In return, the inmates are allowed limitless use of videoconferencing amenities for ‘eMulakat’, on-line interviews with members of the family and authorized representatives, in addition to entry to telephones. An inmate who refused to pay up, the businessman claimed, uncovered himself to harsh punitive measures and threats of bodily hurt.

Court-ordered probe

Considering the seriousness of the allegations, the court docket on September 26 final 12 months directed the Inspecting Judge of Tihar Jail to look at the allegations and submit a report.

On May 2, the court docket perused the report, which was filed in a sealed cowl. A Bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela famous that “very disturbing and startling details have been revealed pointing not solely to sure irregularities and illegalities within the functioning of Tihar Jail but in addition to points touching upon even legal actions happening there”.

The report was primarily based on an in depth inquiry carried out by the Inspecting Judge on analyzing the inmates, the jail authorities, and different people whose names have been disclosed by the petitioner.

The report additionally analysed the decision element information to look at calls made by inmates to folks exterior. It purportedly additionally highlighted “how the official landline quantity within the jail was misused by vested pursuits for selling nefarious actions”.

While the report additionally questioned the conduct of the petitioner, it confirmed the existence of an extortion community working in connivance with jail authorities.

The court docket directed a two-pronged motion — a preliminary probe by the CBI and an administrative inquiry by the Delhi authorities’s Principal Secretary (Home), to establish officers chargeable for the lapses.

Upon analyzing the CBI’s preliminary inquiry report, the High Court famous that the findings “mirrored numerous malpractices prevalent in jails” and indicated collusion between inmates and officers in corrupt actions.

Meanwhile, in compliance with the court docket’s earlier orders, the Delhi authorities knowledgeable the Bench that disciplinary proceedings had been initiated in opposition to 9 jail officers. Some of them have been suspended and others transferred, with additional motion being pursued underneath the Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1965, the federal government instructed the court docket.