DG (prisons) transferred from Tihar after Sukesh's Rs 10 cr extortion charge

Director General (Prisons) Sandeep Goel has been transferred from the Tihar Jail in Delhi, days after jailed conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar alleged extortion of Rs 10 crore for protection in prison.

According to an official order issued on Friday, the 1989-batch AGMUT cadre officer has been transferred from Tihar Jail and asked to report to the police headquarters (PHQ) for further orders.

"Sanjay Beniwal, a 1989-batch IPS officer, is the new DG (Prisons)," it stated.

Beniwal is currently posted as the Special Commissioner of Police (perception management and media cell) in the Delhi Police.

Goel took the charge of Director General (Prisons) on July 17, 2019.

Chandrashekhar had written to Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena alleging that AAP leader Satyendar Jain "extorted" Rs 10 crore from him in 2019 to ensure his safety in prison.

The conman alleged that Jain asked him to pay Rs 1.50 crore to Goel, who, he said, was a loyal associate of his. A total of Rs 10 crore was paid to Jain, and Rs 12.50 crore to Goel.

Chandrashekhar, who is lodged in Mandoli jail here in connection with a Rs 200 crore money laundering case, submitted the letter to the LG on October 8 through his advocate Ashok K Singh, making the startling allegations against the AAP leader.

The letter said more than Rs 50 crore was given to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on a promise of giving Chandrashekhar an important post in the party in South Zone, and also help him in getting nominated to the Rajya Sabha.

Chandrashekhar also alleged that he was visited by Jain in Tihar Jail, where he was lodged after his arrest in 2017 in the 'two leaf symbol corruption case'.

Jain, who held the portfolio of the jail ministry, asked him if he had disclosed anything to the probe agency related to his contribution to the AAP, he alleged.

Tihar Jail is run by the Department of Delhi Prisons under the Government of Delhi.

"Thereafter in 2019 again I was visited by Satyendar Jain and his secretary and his close friend Sushil in jail, asking me to pay Rs 2 crore every month to him as protection money to live safely in jail, and to get even basic facilities," he alleged.

"Jain asked me to pay Rs 1.50 crore to DG (Prisons) Sandeep Goel, who, he said, was a loyal associate of his. He forced me to pay and an amount of Rs 10 crore was extorted from me through constant pressure in a matter of two or three months," he alleged in the letter.

He also alleged that the amounts were collected in Kolkata through Jain's associates.

"Hence, a total amount of Rs 10 crore was paid to Satyendar Jain, and Rs 12.50 crore to DG (Prisons) Sandeep Goel," Chandrashekhar alleged and added that he has already given this information to the Enforcement Directorate.