Mumbai: The probe of Delhi Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) against alleged conman Sukash Chandershekhar has revealed that he allegedly stayed alone in a Rohini prison’s barrack (number 204) for several months, from July 2020 to August 2021, without any written order authorising the stay.
The EOW’s charge sheet was submitted in connection with the alleged Rs200 crore extortion case in which Mr Sukash Chandershekhar is an accused. According to the supplementary chargesheet, which was submitted in a Delhi court on Jan 16, the police have asked for an explanation and document/ application/ order/ court order, among others for the permission.
The charge sheet stated that he allegedly received special treatment when he was allowed to stay alone, through the active connivance of at least seven jail officials, who allowed him to avail uninterrupted mobile access facilitating “illegal activities”.
The EOW queries were posed on Dec 6, 2022, to which the jail authorities clarified that no such record was found in their office, and no such order in writing approved Mr Sukash Chandershekhar’s solo lodging in the barrack. However, a record of lodging of every prisoner is reflected through the mandatory register of the jail, known as Barrack Bandi, the jail authorities said.
The jail authorities added that as per section 27 of the Delhi Prison Act, 2000, the discipline in the prison shall be maintained by the Superintendent firmly, fairly and in an equitable manner. As per rule 90 of Delhi Prisons Rules, 2018, the Superintendent must provide for the accommodation, support, care and custody and control over all inmates confined in the prison. The jail authorities stated that the sleeping space for an inmate should be 6.5 feet X 2.5 feet and that a barrack should ideally not accommodate more than 20 inmates.
On demand from the police, the jail provided the certified copy of barrack 204’s register and any other barrack where Mr Sukash Chandershekhar may have stayed. The jail authorities communicated to EOW that the accused had been transferred from Tihar prison’s Central Jail number 3 to Rohini Central Jail 10 via an order on July 7, 2020. On July 18, 2020, he had been allegedly transferred from barrack number 4 of Ward 3 to barrack 204/ Ward 3 as found in the document that bore the signature of certain jail officials (without names and designations).
As per the EOW chargesheet, via the said transfer document, only Mr Sukash Chandershekhar was transferred to barrack number 204. Whereas, the chargesheet stated, the other 15 inmates / undertrials were allegedly transferred from barrack number 204 to 104 to accommodate Mr Chandershekhar.
The chargesheet stated that the jail registers showed that he allegedly stayed alone from July 19, 2020 to Sept 6, 2020, from Dec 9, 2020 to June 6, 2021 and then from July 13, 2021 to Aug 8, 2021, when he was transferred to barrack number 6. On the intervening night of Aug 7-8, a raid was conducted at barrack number 204 by Delhi police’s Special Cell officials.
