Supreme Court declines hearing ‘urgent’ plea to shift conman Sukesh from Delhi's Tihar jail

Fixing the petition for hearing on July 13, a vacation bench of justices Surya Kant and JB Pardiwala said that the final order on conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar’s plea should be passed by the original bench, led by justice Uday U Lalit, that heard the case.

The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to urgently hear a plea by jailed conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar (33) to shift him out of Delhi’s Tihar jail due to alleged threats to his life.

Conman Sukesh Chandrashekar was first arrested by Delhi Police in 2017 for allegedly duping an AIADMK leader of ₹2 crore on the pretext of helping the politician retain the party’s two leaves symbol by bribing Election Commission officers. (PTI Photo)

Fixing the petition for hearing on July 13, a vacation bench of justices Surya Kant and JB Pardiwala said that the final order on Chandrashekhar’s plea should be passed by the original bench, led by justice Uday U Lalit, that heard the case.

“Let this be decided by the bench headed by honourable justice Lalit. His bench has been hearing your petition since the beginning. Let the same bench pass final orders,” the vacation bench told senior advocate R Basant, who appeared for Chandrashekhar.

Basant sought to persuade the bench of the urgency of the matter, apprehending danger to his client inside the jail because of threats posed by jail officials, who are being prosecuted for allegedly receiving bribes from Chandrashekhar.

“There is no urgency...nobody will touch you when this court is seized of the matter,” retorted the bench, refusing to give an early date for the hearing.

Chandrasekhar was first arrested by Delhi Police in 2017 for allegedly duping an All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader of ₹2 crore on the pretext of helping the politician retain the party’s two leaves symbol by bribing Election Commission officers.

When he was lodged in Delhi’s Rohini jail between July 2020 and September 2021, the police received a complaint (in August 2021) that he pulled off a ₹215 crore heist within the prison by duping former Ranbaxy promoter Shivinder Mohan’s wife Aditi Singh, by impersonating Union home secretary Ajay Bhalla on the phone. On date, 34 criminal cases under charges of cheating, extortion, attempt to murder and bribing public officials are pending against Chandrasekhar, with most pending trial before various Delhi courts.

The special cell of Delhi police is currently investigating a large number of jail and police officials for allegedly colluding with Chandrasekhar.

On June 23, the Centre and Enforcement Directorate offered to shift Chandrashekhar to Mandoli jail in east Delhi, but not outside Delhi. The Centre also warned the court that Chandrashekhar’s transfer application was motivated by a desire to set up the kind of racket he allegedly ran inside Tihar in another jail.

In an affidavit filed in the court on June 20, ED claimed that Chandrashekhar admitted to the ₹215 crore heist during his custodial interrogation. “While in ED custody, Chandrasekhar admitted that he impersonated law secretary Anup Kumar and home secretary Ajay Bhalla. He admitted to collecting cash from Aditi Singh…He admitted that he used mobile-based application ‘hushed’ and ‘crazy call’ for voice modulation and purchased virtual numbers,” claimed the agency’s affidavit.

ED added that Chandrasekhar’s food in Delhi’s Tihar jail came from a five-star hotel and he hosted parties inside the prison in complicity with jail officials.