SC pulls up jail, govt for ‘VIP treatment’ to Unitech’s bosses
UNDER LENS Bench asks Centre what action has been taken in the matter after inspection finds TV, sofas in Tihar cell of Chandra brothers
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday raised serious concerns over reports that owners of real estate firm Unitech Ltd — Sanjay Chandra and his brother Ajay Chandra — are getting ‘VIP treatment’ while being lodged in Tihar jail. The brothers have been jailed for allegedly duping homebuyers.
“It is a parallel system running in jail,” a bench of justices MB Lokur and Deepak Gupta asked additional solicitor general Aman Lekhi, who said he will revert after seeking instructions.
The bench also referred to media reports from Tamil Nadu and Bihar, where inmates have access to their mobile phones. “There seems to be a show running from the jail,” Justice Lokur said. “Every now and then, articles are coming out in this regard.”
The remarks came in the light of a report prepared by an additional sessions j udge, who inspected the jail where the Chandra brothers are lodged.
The judge had conducted the inspection after a group of prisoners — including a top Indian Mujahideen operative — filed a complaint about prisoners such as the Chandras being given ‘VIP facilities’.
As per the report, the brothers have been provided with LED TV, coconut water, mineral water, badminton rackets and other items that are prohibited in jail cells. The judge in a report to the Delhi High Court had sought registration of a FIR against the director general of prisons and other jail officers for allegedly allowing such facilities to the prisoners.
According to the judge’s report, apart from household items — like mattresses, mustard oil, foot mats and stools — in their cell, the brothers had a separate ‘office’ room with a computer and i nternet, a printer and Aquafina mineral water bottles. The judge, in the report, noted that the brand of mineral water available in the canteen was different from the one found in the cell.
“You tell us why these people have special rights in the jail. What have you done about this? These persons are enjoying TV, sitting on the sofa, God knows what more they are enjoying,” Justice Lokur asked Lekhi, who confessed to not having any instructions on the matter. “I will come back with a response. If there have been aberrations, action should be taken against the officials,” Lekhi told the bench, seeking time till November 29 to respond.
The judges said despite the report against the Chandras, no action had been taken. “What we are dealing with is shocking,” said Justice Lokur. Lekhi said he was not seeking time to file a reply. “I would put them (authorities) to notice. This has to be tackled severely,” he said.
Justice Lokur also took a dig at the Centre and said it will now pass the buck to Delhi government. “We know what your government (Centre) will say. They will say that it’s a state issue. But then Tihar jail is your (Centre’s) responsibility,” he said.
The Centre also came under criticism for not ensuring basic facilities to common prisoners in jails (compaed to the facilities provided to Chandra and similar prisoners).
This is not the first time that the Chandra brothers have been caught with prohibited items.
On May 23 this year, jail officers had found perfume bottles, chocolate boxes, one mini-refrigerator, two cell phones, two cordless phones and two desktop computers from the cell of the two brothers.
Chandra’s counsel ,Vishal Gosain, had then denied reports of his clients using prohibited items and instead accused jail officials of filing false complaints because his client refused to succumb to their extortion demands.
Last week, after reports of the judge’s inspection report to the high court appeared, Gosain again denied his clients were enjoying a life of luxury in prison. He said a separate room was given on the instruction of the Supreme Court to facilitate meetings with foreign clients and arrange ₹750 crore for returning to the home buyers.