Chaini Parwani-
Published On: October 06, 2021 at 18:13 IST
The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued the suspension of Tihar Jail officials who are found to have connived with ex-Unitech promoters Sanjay Chandra & Ajay Chandra while they were in Jail.
In the past, the Court had issued shifting of Chandra Brothers from Tihar & demanded investigation by Delhi police.
Initially the Court issued the shifting of Chandra Brothers, who were in custody in a Money Laundering Case involving Unitech Company, from Tihar to Mumbai’s Taloja jail, after an Investigation Report of the Enforcement Directorate(ED) showed that they had been involved in several unlawful activities within Tihar jail with the connivance of certain officials.
A Bench comprising of Justices DY Chandrachud and MR Shah on August 26, issued the Delhi Police Commissioner to carry out an investigation contrary to the Tihar jail staff on the basis of the ED Report.
The Delhi Police Commissioner submitted a report to which the Bench replied that the officials who have been prima facie found to have extended undue assistance with the Unitech accused be kept under suspension pending enquiry.
Further the Bench stated that a Criminal Case has been lodged against the complicit staff under appropriate sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The Court had noted that the ED’s report had contained specific details of the manner in which the premises of Tihar Central Jail have been used-
(1) in engaging in illegal activities by flouting the jail manual;
(2) making efforts to dissipate the proceedings;
(3) influencing witnesses and attempting to derail the investigation.
Furthermore, the Court noted that these unlawful activities being carried out in Tihar jail premises have “the propensity to undermine the authority of the court as also to derail the investigation which has been ordered by the Enforcement Directorate, including but not confined to the PMLA”.
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