The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the Delhi Police Commissioner to personally conduct an enquiry against Tihar Central Jail officials on the basis of an Enforcement Directorate report that Unitech promoters, brothers Sanjay and Ajay Chandra, used the prison premises to transfer proceeds of crime, influence witnesses and tried to derail the probe against them on money-laundering charges.
A Bench led by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud ordered the police chief to complete his probe in four weeks and submit a report in the apex court.
The court ordered the brothers to be immediately transferred from Tihar, separated and sent to the Arthur Road and the Taloja Central jails in Mumbai.
Serious and disturbing issues
The court, in a 27-page order, said the ED report of August 16, originally addressed to the Delhi Police Commissioner, about the conduct of the Chandras “serious and disturbing issues”.
“The letter contains details of the manner in which the premises of Tihar Central Jail have been misused by the accused for engaging in illegal activities by flouting the jail manual, making transfers of assets and dissipating the proceeds of crime, influencing witnesses and attempting to derail the investigation,” the court order said.
“What is of concern to the court is that the jurisdiction of this court is sought to be undermined in complicity with the jail staff, if the contents of the letter are true...The Commissioner of Police must make an immediate enquiry into the contents of the communication dated 16 August 2021 addressed to him by the Directorate of Enforcement so that all the officers and staff of Tihar Central Jail who may be complicit in the violation of law are held accountable,” the Supreme Court directed.
The court underscored the need for the Directorate of Enforcement to proceed with the investigation against the Chandras expeditiously.
“The investigation has been proceeding at a tardy pace. The court should be apprised of the status of the investigation within a period of four weeks from today,” the Bench ordered.
