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12 officials posted at Satyendar Jain’s Tihar jail cell transferred
The transfers come after the suspension of jail official Ajit Kumar on Monday for allegedly circumventing rules to provide special facilities to Jain
At least 12 officials posted at the Tihar Jail cell, where Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Satyendar Jain is lodged, have been transferred, officials aware of the matter said on Thursday.
The transfers come after the suspension of jail official Ajit Kumar on Monday for allegedly circumventing rules to provide special facilities to Jain. Until his arrest over money laundering charges this year, Jain was Delhi’s minister of prisons.
“The officers transferred are those who were directly guarding or were in charge of the cell where [Jain] was lodged. An inquiry has been ordered to probe their role,” said an official, requesting anonymity.
The Union home ministry last month sought a report from Delhi chief secretary Naresh Kumar over allegations that Jain was availing special treatment in connivance with the jail authorities. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) earlier informed a Delhi court that Jain was living a luxurious lifestyle with facilities such as the face, head, and foot massages. It said he was getting fruits and salads and was meetings his family and witnesses in the case in which Jain has been arrested.
Director general (prisons) Sandeep Goel was transferred this month and attached to police headquarters. Dheeraj Mathur was also appointed as the new spokesperson for Tihar jail last month.
The ED arrested Jain in May based on a 2017 case by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in which Jain and his wife Poonam Jain are accused of amassing disproportionate assets worth ₹1.47 crore between 2015 and 2017, which was 217.20% more than their known sources of income. The agency has alleged Jain set up shell companies to launder money.
AAP has said Jain was arrested because he was the party in charge of the Himachal Pradesh elections this month.
