The Delhi High Court (HC) on Thursday directed the Directorate of Vigilance (DoV) of the Delhi government to “immediately act” on the request of its Home department to appoint an officer to conduct a common inquiry against nine suspended officials of the Tihar jail. The officials were allegedly running an extortion racket in the prison in collusion with prisoners.
The direction by a division bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela came following an assurance by the Additional Chief Secretary ACS, Home, that he would be personally looking into the matter and use his office to pursue the matter and expedite the process to ensure an inquiry officer is appointed at the earliest. The court directed DoV to make the appointment preferably within a span of two weeks.
The assurance from the Home department comes two days after the HC pulled up the Delhi government for its “lackadaisical approach” in progressing with the inquiry after the officials were suspended in August. Chief Justice Upadhyaya orally reiterated on Thursday that “keeping any official under suspension for long is not in the interest of anyone”.
The Delhi government on Thursday informed the bench that the Home department’s Deputy Secretary wrote to the Deputy Director of DoV on Thursday, requesting the latter to appoint an officer for the inquiry. The bench was further informed that once the appointment is made, it will require approval from the Lieutenant Governor.
The HC was in August informed by the government that it had suspended the nine Tihar jail officials and initiated disciplinary proceedings against them. The government was instructed to file a report within two months, even as the court had orally instructed it to “follow disciplinary rules strictly”, under the Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules. However, since August, there has been no progress in the disciplinary proceedings in the absence of an inquiry officer.
In a petition by one Mohit Kumar Goyal, who was imprisoned at Tihar jail and later released on bail, he had alleged irregularities, illegalities, malpractices and misconduct that inmates were indulging in, in connivance with jail authorities, to “exact illegal money”. Based on the allegations, the HC had in September last year directed the Inspecting Judge of Tihar Jail to examine the evidence as well as allegations, and file his report.
The court, upon perusal of the report by the Inspecting Judge, 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”.
Story continues below this ad
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
