Police probe possible collusion of jailors, ex-unitech promoters
The Delhi Police commissioner’s office has written to the city prison department seeking details of all officers posted inside Tihar jail number 7 as it began a probe to identify how former Unitech promoters Sanjay Chandra and Ajay Chandra, in alleged connivance with jail officials, operated a “secret undergound office” in south Delhi while staying in jail. The Chandra brothers were arrested in April 2017 for duping homebuyers in 74 projects. Police have also sought details of the dates and the duration when the two brothers were out on bail or parole and also the reason why they were granted parole/furlough in the last three years.
“A notice was sent to director general Sandeep Goel asking him for the details of all persons who were posted in jail number 7 in the last one year. Along with the names and ranks, they were
NEW DELHI:
also told to submit the phone numbers of those officers. In the notice, the prison department has also been told to submit the registered phone numbers to which the Chandra brothers were authorised to make phone calls from the prison’s landline. Any other number to which the calls were made is illegal,” said an officer aware of the matter. Officials privy to the inquiry said the prison department has submitted some of the details and requested time to provide all the information sought.
Sanjay and Ajay Chandra, who were lodged together in Tihar’s jail number 7, were moved to Mumbai’s Arthur Road and Taloja jails on August 28 on the orders of the Supreme Court, which was informed by the Enforcement Directorate that jail authorities helped the two engage in illegal activities, including running an underground office in south Delhi.
According to ED, the office, which was being operated by Unitech founder Ramesh Chandra, was visited by his sons, Sanjay and Ajay, when they were on parole or bail. ED further said that the two brothers were communicating and instructing their staff from inside jail to dispose of their properties.
The apex court asked Delhi Police chief Rakesh Asthana to conduct an inquiry into the matter and submit a report within four weeks. HT spoke to senior police officers who confirmed that the inquiry started on Saturday. This is the first time that the police commissioner is personally conducting an inquiry to probe the nexus between prisoners and jail officers.
Even as the police are probing how both the Chandra brothers had access to cell phones and communicated freely with their contacts outside the prison, interestingly, records from jail 7 show that the two were never caught for violating any prison rules. HT contacted the Tihar director general for a response, but he declined to comment.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, a team of officers from the Delhi Police’s Economic Offences Wing visited the prison headquarters to take the details of officers posted in jail housing another prisoner, Sukesh Chandrashekhar,
who is accused of allegedly duping the wife of Shivinder Singh, the former promoter of Religare Enterprises. Chandrashekhar allegedly cheated her by posing as a senior government officer and promised to secure bail for Singh, who was arrested in October 2019 in a case pertaining to alleged misappropriation of funds.
“Sukesh was in jail 1 with former promoters of Unitech until 2018. There are reports that he had helped the two men... This will also be part of the inquiry,” said an EOW officer.
Delhi Police arrested Chandrashekar in 2017 for allegedly duping an AIADMK leader of ₹2 crore on the pretext of helping his faction of the party retain the two leaves symbol by bribing Election Commission officials.
Meanwhile, the Tihar prison department on Saturday also transferred at least 23 deputy superintendents across Tihar, Rohini and Mandoli complex of Tihar prisons.