Days after Director General (Prisons), Delhi, Sandeep Goel was accused of receiving ₹12.5 crore from alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar, Lieutenant-Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Friday transferred him, asking him to report to police headquarters for “further orders”, Raj Niwas officials said.
They added that the L-G appointed Sanjay Beniwal the new DG (Prisons). A 1989-batch IPS officer, Mr. Beniwal was earlier posted as Special Commissioner (Perception Management and Media Cell).
In a letter to the L-G, which was made public on Tuesday, Mr. Chandrashekhar had accused Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain — who earlier held the Jail portfolio — and Mr. Goel of demanding “protection money” from him for his safety and facilities in jail back in 2019. He also said he had “paid ₹10 crore and ₹12.5 crore” in total to Mr. Jain and Mr. Goel, respectively. Mr. Goel had refused to comment on the allegations.
Under Mr. Goel’s tenure, extortion rackets and hit jobs allegedly taking place inside Tihar jail had come to the fore.
Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala’s murder was also alleged to have been hatched from Tihar jail by gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.
Incidents of inmates smuggling mobile phones and drugs by hiding them inside their body cavities or through connivance of prison staff too were reported.
To curb such incidents, an in-house dog squad, mobile jammers and fishing nets were set up at Delhi three jails -- Tihar, Mandoli, and Rohini jail.
