Extortion racket in Tihar jail: Delhi HC slams ‘lackadaisical approach’, seeks appearance of additional chief secy of home dept
The Delhi High Court highlighted the need for timely disciplinary action and noted disturbing findings from a report on illegal activities in Tihar jail.
3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Oct 29, 2025 03:58 PM IST
A bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela directed that the additional chief secretary of the home department appear before the court on Thursday, October 30. (File photo)
The Delhi High Court Tuesday rapped the Delhi government for its “lackadaisical approach” after noting that it has failed to proceed with disciplinary action against suspended Tihar jail officials for running an alleged extortion racket in collusion with prisoners.
A bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela directed that the additional chief secretary of the home department appear before the court on Thursday, October 30.
In August, the Delhi HC was informed by the government that it had suspended nine Tihar jail officials and initiated disciplinary proceedings against them over such allegations. At the time, the government was instructed to file a report within two months, even as the court had orally asked the government to “follow disciplinary rules strictly”, under Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules for proceeding with action against the suspended officials.
Perusing a status report filed by the government this month, which mentioned that it is contemplating initiating disciplinary proceedings against them and will request the vigilance department to appoint an officer to conduct a common disciplinary inquiry against all nine suspended officials, the bench expressed its displeasure.
Addressing the Delhi government’s counsel, the court remarked, “What have you been doing for the last two months? How long does it take for an inquiry officer to be appointed? If you want to, it can happen overnight. If you don’t want to, it will be limping over for months…We do not appreciate such a lackadaisical approach.”
“Even otherwise, placing an employee/official under suspension without any progress in disciplinary matters is not to be approved of. If disciplinary proceedings have been instituted, the same are to be taken to their logical conclusion at the earliest.”
On May 2, while dealing with a petition by one Mohit Kumar Goyal, alleging irregularities, illegalities, malpractices and misconduct that inmates are indulging in in connivance with jail authorities, to “exact illegal money”, the high court also directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct a preliminary inquiry into the allegations. It also directed the home department parallely to conduct an inquiry into the administrative lapses.
Story continues below this ad
Last September, based on the allegations made in the petition, the HC directed the inspecting judge of Tihar jail to examine the evidence as well as allegations in the petition, and file his report.
The court, upon perusal of the report by the inspecting judge, which was submitted in sealed cover, had recorded that “very disturbing and startling facts have been revealed pointing not only to certain irregularities and illegalities in the functioning of Tihar jail but also to issues touching upon even criminal activities going on there”.
The report had also recorded how the official landline number in the jail was being “misused by vested interests for promoting nefarious activities”.
Sohini Ghosh is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express. Previously based in Ahmedabad covering Gujarat, she recently moved to the New Delhi bureau, where she primarily covers legal developments at the Delhi High Court
Professional Profile
Background: An alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), she previously worked with ET NOW before joining The Indian Express.
Core Beats: Her reporting is currently centered on the Delhi High Court, with a focus on high-profile constitutional disputes, disputes over intellectual property, criminal and civil cases, issues of human rights and regulatory law (especially in the areas of technology and healthcare).
Earlier Specialty: In Gujarat, she was known for her rigorous coverage in the beats of crime, law and policy, and social justice issues, including the 2002 riot cases, 2008 serial bomb blast case, 2016 flogging of Dalits in Una, among others.
She has extensively covered health in the state, including being part of the team that revealed the segregation of wards at the state’s largest government hospital on lines of faith in April 2020.
With Ahmedabad being a UNESCO heritage city, she has widely covered urban development and heritage issues, including the redevelopment of the Sabarmati Ashram
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
Her recent reporting from the Delhi High Court covers major political, constitutional, corporate, and public-interest legal battles:
High-Profile Case Coverage
She has extensively covered the various legal battles - including for compensation under the aegis of North East Delhi Riots Claims Commission - pertaining to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, as well as 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
She has also led coverage at the intersection of technology and governance, and its impact on the citizenry, from, and beyond courtrooms — such as the government’s stakeholder consultations for framing AI-Deepfake policy.
Signature Style
Sohini is recognized for her sustained reporting from courtrooms and beyond. She specialises in breaking down dense legal arguments to make legalese accessible for readers. Her transition from Gujarat to Delhi has seen her expand her coverage on regulatory, corporate and intellectual property law, while maintaining a strong commitment to human rights and lacuna in the criminal justice system.
X (Twitter): @thanda_ghosh ... Read More
