The Delhi High Court on Monday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to lodge an FIR over allegations of an extortion racket being run inside Tihar Jail, allegedly involving officials and inmates.
A Bench of Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela termed the allegations “astonishing” and said that they required “prompt and serious thinking on the part of the government”. The court had previously ordered the probe agency to conduct an inquiry into the allegations after hearing a petition by a former inmate, who claimed the racket jeopardised the safety of prisoners.
On Monday, the court took note of the agency’s findings in the preliminary inquiry, which indicated involvement of inmates and jail officials in various kinds of illegal and corrupt activities.
‘In a sealed cover’
“Having perused the status report and the preliminary inquiry report, we direct that based on the same comma an FIR be launched by the CBI and an investigation be carried out. By the next set of listing, the action taken by the CBI in pursuance to this order shall be brought to the notice of the court by way of a status report in a sealed cover,” the Bench said.
It listed the next hearing on Wednesday.
Published – August 12, 2025 12:58 am IST
