Delhi HC orders CBI probe into Tihar jail racket

The judges issued the direction after perusing the CBI’s preliminary enquiry (PE) report, which indicated the involvement of inmates and jail officials in numerous illegal and corrupt practices

New Delhi

The bench passed the order in a petition filed by Mohit Kumar Goyal, who was arrested in a cheating case and granted bail after two months. (Representative photo)

Expressing “astonishment” over an alleged extortion racket operating in connivance with officials at the Tihar jail, the Delhi High Court on Monday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file an FIR and investigate the allegations.

A bench of chief justice DK Upadhyay and justice Tushar Rao Gedela said that it was unacceptable that while the prison authorities failed to provide basic minimum needs to all inmates, those with money or influence were able to enjoy illegal benefits.

The judges issued the direction after perusing the CBI’s preliminary enquiry (PE) report, which indicated the involvement of inmates and jail officials in numerous illegal and corrupt practices. The report was filed in response to the court’s May 2 directive to the probe agency to initiate a PE into the suspected criminal activities.

“Ask your (CBI) officials to conduct the investigation not only on the jail officials but whosoever is involved. Certain relatives of the inmates, the petitioner himself. How is all this going on in the prison? It is very difficult to reconcile with the report we have received. We can’t have a robust prison? When it comes to providing the inmates basic human needs, you fail to do so but then whosoever is in the position to exploit that very system, is enjoying his life there,” the bench remarked.

It added, “Think about those who can’t afford such means? It’s your (Delhi government) responsibility, to provide them basic minimum needs of all inmates. Those who have access to such illegal means are enjoying it and those who don’t, what about them? This is very astonishing and requires very prompt and serious thinking on the part of the government. Please do something. Having perused the CBI status report and preliminary inquiry report, we direct that based on the same and regular case (RC) /FIR be lodged and investigated by the CBI.”

The bench passed the order in a petition filed by Mohit Kumar Goyal, who was arrested in a cheating case and granted bail after two months. In his plea, Goyal sought an independent probe into the extortion racket allegedly operating inside the prison.

In September 2024, the court had ordered the inspection of Tihar jail after Goyal alleged an extortion network was functioning with impunity.

On April 7, the jail’s inspecting judge filed a report, which revealed that the jail’s landline number was being misused as part of the extortion scheme. It also highlighted serious irregularities and criminal collusion among jail authorities. Perusing the report, the court on May 2 directed the CBI to initiate a PE and asked the Delhi government to launch a thorough probe to identify delinquent officials aiding the racket.

On Monday, the court, however, expressed displeasure over the Delhi government’s failure to comply with its May 2 directive. This came after the government’s counsel sought more time to file the report. “They don’t seem to have done any job, any work at all……,” the bench remarked, as it directed him to take complete instructions regarding the steps taken by the home department by the next date of hearing, scheduled for August 13.

To be sure, this is not the first time Tihar jail has come under scrutiny. In July 2024, the CBI informed the high court that it had already registered a PE into a similar extortion racket, following a petition by jailed conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar. Sukesh alleged that jail officials were extorting money from him and threatening him. On July 29, the probe agency had again submitted that it was inquiring into the allegations made by Sukesh.