7 Delhi prison officials among 11 held in jail bribery racket

The Anti Corruption Branch under the Delhi government hasarrested eleven people, including seven Delhi prison officials, for allegedly running an extortion and bribery racket inside prisons in the city

The Anti Corruption Branch under the Delhi government hasarrested eleven people, including seven Delhi prison officials, for allegedly running an extortion and bribery racket inside prisons in the city. The case came to light after an undertrial prisoner and his family complained of being forced to pay money for protection, preferential treatment, and other unauthorised facilities inside jail.

The accused include one assistant superintendent, six jail warders, two advocates and two private persons, investigators said (Representative photo)

The accused include one assistant superintendent, six jail warders, two advocates and two private persons, investigators said. People familiar with the matter said the probe has also revealed that some jail officials allegedly accepted bribes to facilitate the supply of tobacco to inmates.

The case began with a complaint received on February 9, 2026, in which the complainant alleged that he was being coerced into making regular payments for the safety and comfort of his father and brother, both lodged as undertrial prisoners in Rohini Jail.

Acting on the complaint, the ACB said they laid a trap and registered FIR No. 04/2026, arresting six accused in the first phase last month.

This included Rohini Jail warders Dinesh Dabas, Pankaj Kumar and Ravi Kumar, Tihar Jail head warder Jogender, advocate Manish from Faridabad and Delhi resident Ashish Rana. A bribe amount of ₹1 lakh was recovered during the trap.

Senior officers said the bribe amount was asked from the inmate’s family to give him access to tobacco and allow him to sell it inside jail.

Subsequent investigation, including scrutiny of bank accounts, financial transactions, digital evidence and mobile phone data, uncovered a wider conspiracy. Investigators found that illegal payments were allegedly routed through multiple bank accounts before being withdrawn in cash and distributed among members of the syndicate.

Based on the evidence gathered, the ACB on Thursday said they arrested five more accused — Sunil Kumar, assistant superintendent at Rohini Jail; Rohini Jail head warder Yogesh; warder Jagbir; advocate Harender Bansal from Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh; and Delhi resident Viplove Khari.

Officials said the investigation is continuing to identify other members of the syndicate, trace the complete money trail and ascertain the full extent of the alleged conspiracy.

Joint CP (ACB) Vikramjit Singh said the investigation has uncovered a larger criminal conspiracy beyond the initial trap case. He said, “Illegal payments were allegedly routed through multiple bank accounts and withdrawn in cash for distribution among syndicate members.So far, 11 accused have been arrested, including one Assistant Superintendent, six jail warders, two advocates and two private persons. The probe is continuing to identify other members of the syndicate, trace the money trail and uncover the full extent of the conspiracy.”