Tihar Jail, India’s largest prison, under scanner for ‘extortion racket’

Long infamous for chronic overcrowding, India’s largest and most high-security prison, Tihar Jail, is now under the scanner for an “extortion racket” running within its four walls, allegedly involving officials and inmates.

On August 11, the Delhi High Court, acting on a petition filed by a former inmate, directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to register an FIR and investigate what it described as “very disturbing and startling” allegations.

The case stems from a petition filed by businessman Mohit Kumar Goyal, who was lodged in Tihar Jail between June 4 and August 6, 2024, in connection with a cheating case before being granted bail. In his plea, Mr. Goyal alleged that during his two-month incarceration he was repeatedly coerced into paying “protection money” by prison officials in collusion with certain inmates.

The former inmate told the court about a senior official warning him that refusal to pay up would invite dire consequences. Mr. Goyal alleged that the threats included being grievously harmed or having his face disfigured with a blade. He alleged that certain officials introduced him to inmates, who acted as their operatives.

In the petition, filed through advocate Sachin, the businessman said he was forced to pay nearly ₹15 lakh as extortion money.

The modus operandi to extort money from the inmates is to have their family members transfer a fixed sum of money to the relatives of the other inmates who are part of the alleged racket, Mr. Goyal told the court. In return, the inmates are allowed unlimited use of videoconferencing facilities for ‘eMulakat’, online interviews with family members and legal representatives, as well as access to phones. An inmate who refused to pay up, the businessman claimed, exposed himself to harsh punitive measures and threats of bodily harm.

Court-ordered probe

Considering the seriousness of the allegations, the court on September 26 last year directed the Inspecting Judge of Tihar Jail to examine the allegations and submit a report.

On May 2, the court perused the report, which was filed in a sealed cover. A Bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela noted that “very disturbing and startling facts have been revealed pointing not only to certain irregularities and illegalities in the functioning of Tihar Jail but also to issues touching upon even criminal activities going on there”.

The report was based on a detailed inquiry conducted by the Inspecting Judge on examining the inmates, the prison authorities, and other individuals whose names were disclosed by the petitioner.

The report also analysed the call detail records to examine calls made by inmates to people outside. It purportedly also highlighted “how the official landline number in the jail was misused by vested interests for promoting nefarious activities”.

While the report also questioned the conduct of the petitioner, it confirmed the existence of an extortion network operating in connivance with jail authorities.

The court directed a two-pronged action — a preliminary probe by the CBI and an administrative inquiry by the Delhi government’s Principal Secretary (Home), to identify officers responsible for the lapses.

Upon examining the CBI’s preliminary inquiry report, the High Court noted that the findings “reflected various malpractices prevalent in jails” and indicated collusion between inmates and officials in corrupt activities.

Meanwhile, in compliance with the court’s earlier orders, the Delhi government informed the Bench that disciplinary proceedings had been initiated against nine jail officials. Some of them have been suspended and others transferred, with further action being pursued under the Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1965, the government told the court.