Tihar Jail superintendent transferred for providing favors to Satyendra Jain
18 May 2023 11:12:12
New Delhi, May 18: The Tihar jail superintendent who was transferred on Tuesday, for allegedly providing “undue favors” to former Delhi Home Minister Satyendar Jain, was posted as assistant commissioner in the excise department when the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 — which has since been scrapped — was implemented. The officer, Rajesh Choudhary, was also raided and questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
“As per our records, a raid was conducted at the officer’s residence in Delhi around November 5 last year. This was the same time raids were conducted on former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s personal assistant (PA) and other officials in connection with the case. ED officers also questioned the officer,” said sources linked to the probe into the alleged excise scam.
According to sources, Choudhary had served as assistant commissioner (excise) for about two months. “He was questioned on November 5 and was transferred to Jail No. 7 on November 13-15. We are checking records and will conduct an inquiry,” said a senior jail officer. Choudhary, who was transferred from Tihar’s Jail No. 7 (where Jain is lodged) to Jail No. 1 on Tuesday, confirmed that he was raided and questioned by the ED, but said nothing was found. “I didn’t work in collaboration with anyone at Jail No. 7. I was posted as assistant commissioner (excise) for a brief period when the policy was implemented. I was overseeing other work. The ED received a fake tip and raided my place, but they didn’t find anything. I was also questioned, but there was nothing again. Since then, I have not been called by them or named in the scam,” he said. Countering the allegation of granting favors to Jain, Choudhary claimed: “Last year, when I was transferred to Jail No. 7, I had lodged a complaint against Jain because he was threatening me and my officers.” Asked if any action was taken against Jain, he said he wasn’t aware. Choudhary is alleged to have provided favors to Jain, including allowing outside food, sending inmates to give him massages, and providing extra chairs and mattresses. He is also alleged to have shifted three prisoners to Jain’s cell after the former minister complained that he was feeling “low and depressed”.
A probe was initiated last December after several videos from Jain’s cell were leaked. The Director General of Prisons, Sanjay Beniwal, had said Choudhary didn’t follow “proper procedure” while transferring the prisoners, who were later sent back to their respective cells.