A view of Tihar Jail, in New Delhi.
| Photo Credit: Sushil Kumar Verma
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against now-suspended three assistant superintendents, two other staff members, and three inmates of Tihar Jail, for allegedly receiving bribes from inmates in exchange for various facilities inside the prison, as well as extorting “protection” money from them through physical and mental harassment.
In the First Information Report (FIR), the accused have been identified as the then Tihar Jail (No.8 & 9) Assistant Superintendents Rajesh, Pawan, and Amit; Head Warder Ajeet Paswan; Warder Rakesh Chauhan; and inmates Ajjaruddin, Rahul Gupta, and Mohit. The role of unknown officials/persons will also be investigated.
On June 3, the agency had instituted a preliminary inquiry into the matter following a Delhi High Court direction on a petition filed by one Mohit Kumar Goyal against unknown officials of Tihar Jail (No.8 & 9) and unknown others. He had been kept in judicial custody in Tihar Jail from June 4, 2024, to August 8, 2024, as an accused in a case registered by the Delhi police Special Cell.
As alleged by him, he was coerced to pay protection money and when he refused, he was threatened with grievous hurt and subjected to “continuous physical and mental harassment” by the accused inmates who were involved in heinous crimes.
“The racket extended beyond the jail as inmates’ families were also harassed and threatened to ensure payment, with some family members reportedly assisting in intimidating others to comply…the accused officers and inmates controlled communication facilities like E-mulakat and phone calls, restricting access unless extortion money was paid and also facilitated inmates with outside food and tobacco in exchange for bribes,” it mentioned, alleging that after enduring prolonged harassment, the petitioner eventually paid a substantial amount between ₹12 to ₹15 lakh.
The Delhi High Court took note of the charges and ordered an inquiry by the Inspecting Judge of Tihar Jail. Based on the report, the court directed the CBI to carry out a preliminary inquiry. The State government suspended at least nine officials.
Prima facie, the CBI purportedly found that the accused officers “have received undue advantage from jail inmates”, including the petitioner, for better facilities such as preferential treatment, unauthorised access to mobile phones, landline usage, superior food, relaxed surveillance, or a greater freedom within the prison.
The FIR alleged that the public servants in question, in collusion with some jail inmates, also used to extort money from other prisoners, including the petitioner, “by putting them under constant threat of torture, grievous hurt, etc.” During judicial custody, he— through his relatives and others— had allegedly paid about ₹6.19 lakh into the accounts of the family, friends, etc. of other jail inmates.
The agency found that family members and friends of former/current jail inmates received large sums of money in their UPI accounts, etc. on their direction. The funds were often transferred further to other UPI accounts via layering and finally handed over in cash to jail officials during physical “mulakats” in jail and at their native places, as alleged.
In some instances, money was ultimately transferred to the accounts of the accused public servants and their friends. The agency also found that the inmates were allowed to use a landline installed at jail No.8&9 “in lieu of undue advantage”. The petitioner had himself made about 463 such calls from that number.
Besides, it is alleged that a mobile number had been provided and the petitioner used it six times. “…the said mobile phone has been used by other jail inmates also to make thousands of unauthorised calls to their family members, etc. from June 2024 to December 2024,” said the FIR.
Published – October 11, 2025 12:38 am IST
