The superintendent of Tihar Jail No 7 was served a show-cause notice by the jail administration for shifting two men to the cell of former Delhi Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) politician Satyendar Jain, media reports said on Monday.
The two inmates were shifted to Jain’s cell after he wrote a letter asking administration to provide him with at least two more cellmates.
Media reports citing an official of Tihar Jail said that Jain was asking for cellmates because he said he was depressed and lonely.
“I am feeling depressed and low because of loneliness. The psychiatrist has suggested me more social interaction. I am asking you to provide me with two more inmates. I ask you to send Vijay Goel and Saachit to my cell - No 5,” the jailed AAP politician said in his letter written on Thursday 11 May.
The Superintendent of Tihar Jail No 7 immediately transferred two people to Jain’s cell. However, as soon as the prison administration learnt about this, it sent the two inmates back to their respective cells.
The decision was taken by the Superintendent without informing the prison administration, the Tihar Jail official claimed.
According to the procedure, no inmate can be moved or transferred to another cell without informing the administrators and receiving permission.
Jain's Previous Controversies in Tihar Jail
It is not the first time Jain has been involved in a controversy inside Tihar Jail. In November last year, two videos of him receiving a massage inside his cell went viral. In the same month, a video of him enjoying a sumptuous meal inside the cell also surfaced.
After the videos went public, he was accused of living in the lap of luxury while inside the prison.
Jailed conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar, who has been an inmate in Tihar since 2017, has also accused Jain of taking bribes.
He even wrote a letter to Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena claiming that he had paid INR 100Mln ($1.2Mln) to Jain as “protection money” in 2019 to ensure his safety inside prison.
Why is Jain In Prison?
The Enforcement Directorate, India's economic intelligence and law enforcement agency, arrested Jain on 30 May last year in connection with a money-laundering case. The case was filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in 2017 against Jain and family members.
In its investigation, the ED revealed that companies owned by Jain received up to INR 48.1Mln ($580.000) from shell companies through informal payment methods based on trust, during 2015-2016.
According to the inquiry agency, the money was used to buy land or for the repayment of a loan taken to buy agricultural land in Delhi.