Delhi: 30 Tihar jail officials suspended for ‘colluding’ with former Unitech promoters

On Tuesday, the Delhi Police Crime Branch registered an FIR against the 32 jail officials and Chandra brothers under sections of the IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act.

This was done after the Supreme Court on August 26 directed Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana to investigate the charges in a report by the Enforcement Directorate, which had stated that the Chandra brothers, who were lodged in Tihar jail, were having a free run and were “flouting the jail manual” in connivance with officials.

The ED had accused the brothers — who were arrested following complaints of siphoning homebuyers’ money — of “engaging in illegal activities by flouting the jail manual… making transfers of assets and dissipating the proceeds of crime… influencing witnesses, and attempting to derail the investigation”.

Director-General of Delhi Prisons, Sandeep Goel on Wednesday said, “ We have received letters from Delhi Police with names of 32 jail officials found prima facie complicit in the matter.” Out of the 32 personnel, 30 are regular jail staffers while two are contractual employees. Goel said the 30 officials will be placed under suspension and the other two officials will be terminated.

The brothers were shifted from the central jail, Tihar, to Arthur Road jail and Taloja central jail in Mumbai.

The Police Commissioner submitted a report on September 28 naming the jail officials. On October 6, the Supreme Court granted Asthana permission to conduct a “full-fledged criminal investigation” into the allegations of collusion and ordered the immediate suspension of jail officials named in his report.

“We have registered an FIR with the Crime Branch under sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the IPC. During the inquiry, names of 32 officials from Tihar jail number 7 have come up. They were found to be complicit with the Chandra brothers in this matter,” said Chinmoy Biswal, Delhi Police PRO.