LI Network
Published on: March 02, 2024 at 16:22 IST
Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has sanctioned a CBI inquiry under the Prevention of Corruption Act against former Delhi Minister and AAP leader Satyendar Jain for allegedly extorting Rs 10 crore from notorious conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar, who was then lodged in Tihar jail, the LG office said in a press release.
Jain, who was the Jail Minister in the AAP government, is accused of running a high-profile extortion racket from Tihar Jail and demanding Rs 10 crore as “protection money” from Chandrashekhar so as to enable him to “live peacefully and comfortably in jail,” the statement from LG office added.
Jain, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case, was also lodged in Tihar Jail where he had also influenced the jail officials into providing him with body massage and other VIP treatment, the statement said. Saxena, having given his sanction for the CBI inquiry, also referred the matter to the Ministry of Home Affairs for necessary action in the matter.
Notably, on February 9, 2024, the LG had also sanctioned CBI inquiry against Raj Kumar, the then Superintendent of Tihar Jail, for extorting money at the behest of Jain and Sandeep Goel, the former DG of Tihar Jail. The case pertains to the charges made by Sukesh Chandrashekhar that Jain had extorted and received Rs 10 crore from him in various tranches during 2018-21, either personally or through his accomplices, as protection money, so as to enable him ‘to live peacefully and comfortably in different jails of Delhi (Tihar, Rohini and Mandoli)’. Jain was Minister (Jail) during this period in the AAP government.
The matter is being investigated by the CBI and the request for prosecution sanction had come through the Directorate of Vigilance GNCTD, to the LG, who is the competent authority in the matter. Apart from Satyendra Jain and Raj Kumar, Sukesh had also accused Sandeep Goel and one Mukesh Prasad of extorting Rs 12.50 crore in various tranches during 2019-22 from him. Jain, Goel, Prasad and Kumar are accused of misusing their official positions as public servants in extending undue favour to Sukesh Chandrashekhar and other high-profile inmates in Delhi Jails in lieu of valuable considerations.