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Delhi police to file FIR, probe allegations against Tihar jail officers
The Supreme Court directed Delhi Police commissioner Rakesh Asthana to investigate the case. Asthana submitted his inquiry report last week, based on which the top court on Wednesday ordered the suspension of jail officers, and registration of FIR against them.
The Delhi Police crime branch will register an FIR to probe allegations of corruption against Tihar jail officers for allegedly helping former Unitech promoters Sanjay Chandra and Ajay Chandra with running a “secret underground office” in south Delhi from inside the prison, officials privy to the development said on Wednesday.
The Supreme Court directed Delhi Police commissioner Rakesh Asthana to investigate the case. Asthana submitted his inquiry report last week, based on which the top court on Wednesday ordered the suspension of jail officers, and registration of FIR against them.
Till late Wednesday night, the crime branch was yet to register an FIR. The prison headquarters was also yet to issue suspension orders of any jail officer. Officials in the crime branch, who asked not to be named, said the FIR is likely to be registered on Thursday after they formally receive a copy of the top court order. Prison officers too said they were yet to receive the copy of the inquiry report, and the names of the officers found guilty.
Asthana questioned at least 18 jail officers of different ranks and recorded their statements. It was not immediately known how many officers Asthana has named in his report.
“The suspension orders will be issued the moment a copy of the report is made available, and we see the names recommended for action in the report,” one prison officer, who asked not to be named, said.
On September 30, HT reported that the police commissioner recorded the statements of at least three jail superintendents, four deputy superintendents and other prison officers as part of the probe. The SC had on August 26 directed the police chief to personally look into the role of prison officials after the Enforcement Directorate(ED) informed the court that jailed Unitech ex-promoters Sanjay Chandra and Ajay Chandra violated prison rules and also ran a “secret underground office” in south Delhi from inside Tihar jail with the help of jail officers.
A mid-level jail officer, who asked not to be named, said, “The statement of around 15-18 prison officers were recorded. These prison officials were those who were posted in jail 1 and 7, where the Chandra brothers were lodged. We do not know who has been found guilty in the inquiry. Nobody is speaking a word here. It looks like at least two superintendents and some deputy superintendents will be suspended.”
In the last week of September, the jail officers were called to the Delhi Police headquarters and questioned individually by Asthana. After recording their statement, police chief Asthana had also visited the prison complex for an inspection inside jail 7. Asthana and two senior police officers had also reportedly questioned Chandra brothers in two jails of Maharashtra.
