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SC seeks Centre, Delhi Police response on shifting conman Sukesh from Mandoli
The ED probing the money trail of Sukesh’s crime syndicate found that he used the extortion amount to maintain a luxurious life, purchase property and spend on expensive gifts and bribes to jail officials
The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre and Delhi Police to respond to a plea by conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar to be shifted to any other jail after his petition narrated two instances of threat and physical assault at Mandoli jail.
A bench of justices Ajay Rastogi and CT Ravikumar said, “We have gone through the petition and looked into supporting evidence placed on record. Issue notice to the respondents.”
The matter will be taken up after a week.
Senior advocate R Basant along with advocate Ashok Kumar Singh appeared for Sukesh and informed the Court that due to the investigation by Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Delhi Police into allegations of extortion against Delhi prison officials, he was threatened on two occasions after being brought to Mandoli Jail on August 26.
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“It is not safe to live in the custody of jail authority of any jail which is under the interference and control of Delhi Prisons authority and Director General Prisons even for a single day,” Sukesh stated in the petition filed for shifting to any other jail in the country. Along with him, even his wife Leena Paulose sought to be shifted out of Mandoli jail.
Initially, the bench was not inclined to entertain the petition as similar demand raised by Sukesh was dismissed by the same bench on October 18. The bench remarked, “Why this man is filing petitions so frequently. Affordability of litigation is no ground to file litigation. Just because he can afford lawyers does not mean that he will keep filing petitions.”
Advocate Ashok Singh told the Court that on Sukesh’s complaint 105 jail officials are facing probe for extorting protection money from him worth over ₹12 crore.
The bench pointed out that initially the allegations were leveled against DG Prisons at Tihar who has now been replaced by another officer.
“If you are transferred, for instance, to Punjab. You will allege extortion there also. We have to draw a line somewhere. Now a new DG is there. You have to trust somewhere.”
Sukesh’s lawyer told the Court that 81 jail staff and 14 superintendents/deputy superintendents have been arrested and nearly 100 are facing enquiry of which some are posted at Mandoli jail.
He said that on August 25 he was threatened by an assistant superintendent who demanded ₹25 lakh protection money.
Later, on August 31, he claimed that another assistant superintendent at Mandoli threatened him with dire consequences.
He came with 15 CRPF personnel who allegedly assaulted him.
He further pointed out that the Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on October 22 directed prosecution of 82 jail staff of Tihar Jail based on his complaint. Even Sukesh’s wife stated in the petition to have received threats for pursuing the complaint against jail staff.
The Court passed the order after going through the medical records and finding them to be of a date after Sukesh was transferred to Mandoli jail.
However, another petition filed by the conman to be granted one hour meeting time with lawyers every day instead of fixed time twice a week as per Prison Manual was not entertained by the Court.
His lawyers said, “I (Sukesh) have 28 cases across the country and 12-15 lawyers come to meet me. 30 minutes time twice a week is insufficient.”
However, the bench allowed Sukesh to pursue his request with the jail staff by filing appropriate representation before the jail authorities.
The Court further directed the jail authorities to decide his representation as per law within two weeks.
Sukesh and his wife were transferred from Tihar to Mandoli jail on orders passed by the Supreme Court on August 23.
Even then he alleged torture and threats from jail authorities for accusing them of extorting large sums from him as protection money.
He claimed to have been assaulted on May 14 at Tihar but the jail authorities refuted his claims by producing the medical examination record which showed no external injury.
The report by the examining doctor was not produced by Sukesh in his petition seeking transfer.
The ED had intervened in the proceedings and opposed his shifting to any other jail of his choice claiming that his conduct inside jail was such that he managed to extort ₹215 crore being inside the jail by using a phone that was allowed to him by jail staff in lieu of the bribe he offered.
According to ED, between July 2020 and August 2021, Sukesh paid a total of ₹12.5 crore in bribe to the jail officials.
In return, they ensured that he got a special meeting room and unhindered phone access inside jail to run his crime syndicate.
Following the incident, the Tihar Jail authorities had replaced staff, tightened vigil inside jail and improvised security measures.
It was alleged that the plea for transfer was deliberate as Sukesh was unable to accomplish his nefarious plans after the revamp.
Chandrashekhar was at Tihar Jail since April 2017 except for brief spell at Rohini jail.
The ED probing the money trail of Sukesh’s crime syndicate found that he used the extortion amount to maintain a luxurious life, purchase property and spend on expensive gifts and bribes to jail officials.
