ED proposes to shift conman Chandrashekhar, wife from Tihar to Mandoli jail
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday proposed to the Supreme Court that if at all the conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar and his wife Leena Paul are to be shifted outside the Tihar Jail, then they should be lodged in Mandoli prison only which is being guarded by paramilitary forces. Detailing the notorious activities of Chandrasekhar, the Centre’s counsel said conniving with some Tihar jail officials, he even called Supreme Court Judges, impersonating as Law Minister, and sought favourable orders. The conman is presently in jail for impersonating as Law Secretary and PMO officials by calling jailed Ranbaxy promoter’s wife to offer bail and extorting more than Rs.200 crore.
He was first caught for offering favorable decisions from Election Commission in the AIADMK factions’ case for the claim on their election symbol. The case charged Chandrasekhar with lobbying for AIADMK rebel leader Dinakaran to get the party’s symbol. Later found that he was spoofing phone numbers from jail with the connivance of some prison staffers.[1]
Enforcement Directorate (ED) opposed the transfer of Chandrashekhar and his wife (former actress) to any other jail outside Delhi on the alleged ground of a threat to their life and added that they will be protected by police personnel from Tamil Nadu Special Police Force and would be observed through CCTV cameras. A vacation bench of Justices C T Ravi Kumar and Sudhanshu Dhulia asked senior advocate R Basant, appearing for Chandrashekhar, to file his objections to the Centre’s proposal to shift the accused to Mandoli jail and posted the matter for further hearing on June 30. The bench observed that a person who is lodged in prison cannot choose which jail he is to be logged in. The conman approached the apex court alleging he was facing a life threat in Tihar jail.
The top court recorded the submission of Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for the Centre of shifting Chandrashekhar to Mandoli jail, and said since the court had on June 17 asked the government to suggest a name of the jail, where he could be transferred, the matter could proceed only after the compliance of the order.
“They (Enforcement Directorate) call it to bribe and I call it extortion by the jail staff. I along with with my wife am facing a threat to my life. Kindly transfer me to some other prison outside Delhi”, said Advocate Basanth appearing for the conman, adding that impleadment of ED has still not been allowed and the agency has nothing to do with the transfer of the prisoner.
ASG Raju on other hand submitted that Chandrashekhar is a ‘conman’ and is accused in nearly three dozen cases and in one of the incidents he has impersonated a Supreme Court judge and called up a trial court judge to pass orders in his favour. “This is all façade. He was never assaulted in the jail as claimed by him. He has deliberately omitted those two lines of the report of the doctors in which it was said that no external injury was found”, he said.
In an affidavit filed by Director General (Prisons), Delhi Prisons it was said that the contents of the Chandrashekhar’s application that he was assaulted in jail are vehemently denied as totally and wholly false and fabricated for the ulterior motive of seeking transfer to another prison in order to repeat his misdemeanors and offenses.
On June 20, the ED had made some startling revelations against Chandrashekhar that he indulged in money laundering, extortion, impersonation of public officials including those holding constitutional posts, and had opposed his plea for prison transfer outside Delhi.
In its intervention application, the ED has said Chandrashekhar has repeatedly committed offenses including money laundering during his incarceration in the jail by subverting the legal system and prison rules with the help of his knowledge of technology and his abilities to con people. “Sukesh Chandrashekhar has created a web through his devious mechanism. He is a master conman and with technology at his disposal, he could execute to perfection his plan”, the agency said.
The ED said that it has been found that Sukesh and his wife Leena were running an organized crime syndicate with the aid and association of other associates, added to the syndicate from time to time.
“That being inside the jail, he was threatening people to do what he wished or face consequences. The proceeds of crime were used to purchase cars, houses in Chennai, various luxury items, clothes, etc., and were utilized to open a salon for his wife, to give expensive gifts to celebrities, and to jail authorities to manage facilities in jail”, it said. The probe agency named several TV and Bollywood personalities with whom the ‘conman’ has contacts and used to give them expensive gifts.
Reference:
[1] Con man Sukesh Chandrasekhar spoofed phone numbers of authorities for extortion, police tells court – Nov 22, 2021, India Today
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