In response to conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar’s petition, which detailed two incidents of physical assault and threat-making at Mandoli jail, the Supreme Court on Monday ordered the Center and Delhi Police to respond to the appeal.
A bench of justices Ajay Rastogi and CT Ravikumar said, “We have gone through the petition and looked into supporting evidence placed on record. Issue notice to the respondents.”
After a week, the subject will be discussed again.
Sukesh was represented by senior lawyer R Basant and advocate Ashok Kumar Singh. They told the court that after being taken to Mandoli Jail on August 26 due to allegations of extortion against Delhi prison officials, he had received threats on two separate occasions.
“It is not safe to live in the custody of jail authority of any jail which is under the interference and control of Delhi Prisons authority and Director General Prisons even for a single day,” Sukesh stated in the petition filed for shifting to any other jail in the country. Along with him, even his wife Leena Paulose sought to be shifted out of Mandoli jail.
The petition was first turned down by the bench because a similar demand made by Sukesh had been rejected by the same judge on October 18.
The bench remarked, “Why this man is filing petitions so frequently. Affordability of litigation is no ground to file litigation. Just because he can afford lawyers does not mean that he will keep filing petitions.”
According to Sukesh’s accusation, 105 jail employees are being investigated for extorting protection money from him totaling more than 12 crore, counsel Ashok Singh informed the court.
The bench emphasised that the initial accusations were made against the DG of Tihar’s prisons, who has now been replaced by another officer.
“If you are transferred, for instance, to Punjab. You will allege extortion there also. We have to draw a line somewhere. Now a new DG is there. You have to trust somewhere.”
Sukesh’s lawyer told the Court that 81 jail staff and 14 superintendents/deputy superintendents have been arrested and nearly 100 are facing enquiry of which some are posted at Mandoli jail.
He said that on August 25 he was threatened by an assistant superintendent who demanded ₹25 lakh protection money.
On August 31, he later asserted that a different assistant superintendent at Mandoli had threatened him with serious repercussions.
He allegedly had 15 CRPF members assault him when they arrived.
He added that, in response to his allegation, Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena ordered the prosecution of 82 Tihar Jail staff members on October 22. Even Sukesh’s wife acknowledged in the petition that she had faced threats for pressing the issue with the jail staff.
Sukesh was however given permission by the bench to pursue his request with the jail personnel by making the proper representations to the jail authorities.
The jail officials were further ordered by the court to decide on his legal representation within two weeks.