Conman Chandrashekhar cites threat to life, seeks transfer to jail outside Delhi

Sukesh Chandrashekhar is lodged in the Mandoli jail, which comes under the Delhi government’s jurisdiction

Alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar on Thursday wrote to Delhi lieutenant governor VK Saxena claiming a threat to his life and sought his transfer to a jail outside the national capital. In a letter sent via his lawyer Ashok Singh, Chandrashekhar accused jail officers of threatening him to withdraw the complaint he has filed against the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its leaders.

Chandrashekhar is lodged in Mandoli jail. (HT PHOTO)

Chandrashekhar is lodged in the Mandoli jail, which comes under the Delhi government’s jurisdiction. “My client has received several threats and pressure to withdraw complaints filed before your good office against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Satyendar Jain, Arvind Kejriwal, and Kailash Gehlot and also to retract statements given to EOW [Economic Offences Wing] and ED [Enforcement Directorate] during the investigation…His wife is also being threatened and abused by the senior jail officers...” said the letter signed by Singh on Chandrashekhar’s behalf.

Singh confirmed he sent the complaint to Saxena along with Chandrashekhar’s handwritten note detailing the alleged threats. The note also mentions the name of a deputy superintendent, who allegedly threatened him.

“...I hold very important evidence against them and they are very well aware of it and will go to any extent to cause harm to me and my wife,” Chandrashekhar said in the note.

Chandrashekhar, 33, requested his wife Leena Poulose be also transferred out of Mandoli jail. This Supreme Court on October 18 rejected his plea for transfer to a prison outside Delhi, saying it found no reason to entertain his petition.

Chandrashekhar is involved in at least 32 criminal cases across Delhi and other states. Between 2020 and early 2021, he allegedly extorted ₹200 crore from jailed industrialist Shivinder Mohan’s wife, Aditi Singh, while being lodged in Delhi’s Rohini jail.

Police said Chandrashekhar spoofed phone numbers, posed as a senior bureaucrat, and called her with an offer to bail her jailed husband out. Over two dozen jail officials, bankers, and other people have been arrested for the fraud.

Chandrashekhar earlier wrote to Saxena alleging Satyendar Jain, who was also in charge of the prisons, took protection money from him. He issued a press release from the jail alleging AAP took ₹50 crore from him and also offered him a Rajya Sabha seat.

The AAP rejected Chandrashekhar’s allegations as fake. Gopal Rai, an AAP leader, said Chandrashekhar is an undeclared spokesperson for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Kejriwal also denied the claims and said the BJP was trying to deflect focus from the Morbi bridge collapse in Gujarat by linking Chandrashekhar with the AAP.

BJP leaders have demanded a CBI probe into Chandrashekhar’s allegations.