Lens on ‘VIP’ life of Unitech owners in jail

: A group of non-local students of first year at NIT Srinagar held a protest on Friday, following an altercation with Kashmiri students on Thursday night. A video of the protest also went viral on social media.

The students staged a dharna in front of director Rakesh Sehgal’s office, who was in Delhi for the institute’s budget meeting. The students demanded a meeting with the director to hear them out. Students and officials said the protests were triggered after an altercation between a student from Bihar and a few Kashmiri students staying in Indus hostel on Thursday evening.

“It was a minor issue which is common in hostels. The non-local students protested outside the director’s office. The teachers are present there and the deputy commissioner is also talking to the protesters. They are freshers and need some counseling,” said registrar of the institute, Nisar Ahmad Mir. A first year B.Tech student, requesting anonymity said, “The student from Bihar was studying in his room and a few Kashmiri students were making noise outside. The student objected as he was getting disturbed which triggered a scuffle.”

“The local students beat the Bihari student following which, we tried to complain but the director was not available,” he said. Mir said the director is returning to the institute on Saturday. Meanwhile, the examinations going on inside the campus were held without any issues.

Srinagar DC Syed Abid Rasheed Shah said, “It was a scuffle between two students which has now been sorted. The students have left for the hostel to have dinner.” NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court was informed by a city judge on Friday that ‘prohibited items’ such as LED TV, coconut water, crates of mineral water, badminton rackets and household items were found in the cell of prisoners Sanjay Chandra and his brother Ajay — owner-directors of real estate firm Unitech Ltd. The two brothers are lodged in Tihar jail for allegedly cheating home buyers.

Additional sessions judge Ramesh Kumar-II submitted the report to the bench of chief justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V Kameswar Rao. The bench has sought response of the Delhi government, director general (prison) and other jail officers while fixing the next date of hearing on February 1, 2019.

Additional sessions judge Kumar-II inspected the jail premises on September 4 after some inmates sent a letter to the high court chief justice alleging corruption and nexus between prisoner and jail officials. In their letter, they had alleged that some prisoners, such as the Chandra brothers, were ‘enjoying an extra luxurious life in Tihar Jail’ with a ‘separate VIP ward’, while others were deprived of basic necessities.The judge in his report has recommended an FIR against jail officials, indicating ‘corruption and grave misuse of power.’

According to the judge’s report, apart from household items — like mattresses, mustard oil, footmats and stools — in their cell, the brothers had a separate ‘office’ room with a computer and internet, a printer and Aquafina mineral water supply.

Jail officials said the two brothers were given the facilities as per the Supreme Court order. “The Apex court has directed us to give them a room with computer and internet facility. Mineral water and coconut water is available for all prisoners in the canteen. The mats, oils and other items too are available. We are yet to get a copy of the report. Until that we cannot comment,” a prison officer said.

The judge has noted that the brand of mineral water available in the canteen was different from the one he found in the cell. Vishal Gosain, counsel for the Chandra brothers said his clients were not enjoying no luxurious facilities. Gosain said the room was given on the Supreme Court to facilitate meetings with foreign clients and arrange ₹750 crore for returning to home buyers.