Delhi LG sanctions CBI probe against Satyendar Jain in PMLA case

Sukash Chandrashekhar and Satyendra Jain (pictured) were fellow inmates in Tihar jail.

Lieutenant governor (LG) VK Saxena on Friday sanctioned an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) under the Prevention of Corruption (POC) Act, against former Delhi minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Satyendar Jain who is currently in jail facing money laundering charges.

In a letter seeking the LG’s nod to probe the extortion charges, CBI had in November last year written that Jain is accused of running a high-profile extortion racket from Tihar Jail and demanding ₹10 crore as “protection money” from Chandrashekhar to enable him to “live peacefully and comfortably in jail”, officials from the LG office said. Sukash Chandrashekhar and Satyendra Jain were fellow inmates in Tihar jail.

Saxena also referred the matter to the ministry of home affairs (MHA) for necessary action in the matter, officials added. Earlier on February 9, 2024, LG sanctioned a CBI inquiry against Raj Kumar, the then superintendent of Tihar jail, for extorting money at the behest of Jain and Sandeep Goel, the former DG of Tihar jail.

“The case pertains to the charges made by Sukash Chandrashekhar that Jain had extorted and received ₹10 crore from him in various tranches during 2018-21, either personally or through his accomplices, as protection money, to enable him to live peacefully and comfortably in different jails of Delhi (Tihar, Rohini and Mandoli). The matter is being investigated by the CBI and the request for prosecution sanction had come through the Directorate of Vigilance (DoV), GNCTD, to the LG, who is the competent authority in the matter,” an official from the LG’s office said.

Chandrashekhar had also accused Goel and one Mukesh Prasad of extorting ₹12.5 crore in various tranches during 2019-22 from him. Jain, Goel, Prasad and Kumar are accused of misusing their official positions as public servants in extending undue favour to Chandrashekhar and other high-profile inmates in Delhi jails for valuable considerations. The charges are now being investigated by CBI.

Meanwhile, AAP leader Somnath Bharti said that BJP was trying to use anyone, even if it is a “conman” like Chandrashekhar, to meet its ends. “Jain has given a healthcare model to not just Delhi, but the world, that is widely appreciated. They punished him for it by putting him in jail. When they were not satisfied by torturing him, they are now starting a CBI inquiry based on a complaint by a fraud and known conman,” said Bharti.

Read more news like this on HindustanTimes.com