SC adjourns conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar's plea for transfer from Tihar jail

The Supreme Court on Thursday adjourned for July 13 the hearing of the plea filed by alleged 'conman' Sukesh Chandrashekhar and his wife Leena Paulose seeking transfer from Tihar jail to any other prison outside Delhi on the ground of a threat to his life.

The Supreme Court on Thursday adjourned for July 13 the hearing of the plea filed by alleged 'conman' Sukesh Chandrashekhar and his wife Leena Paulose seeking transfer from Tihar jail to any other prison outside Delhi on the ground of a threat to his life. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and JB Pardiwala adjourned the hearing saying there is no urgency in the case.

The apex court adjourned the matter after noting that the affidavit filed by Chandrashekhar and his wife in response to the affidavit of the Enforcement Directorate is not yet on record. The bench also said that after June 13 order, no harm will be caused to Chandrashekhar in Tihar jail. "Nobody will touch you (Chandrashekhar)," told Justice Kant to the petitioner's lawyer.

Last week the Central government told the top court that Chandrashekhar and his wife who are currently lodged in Tihar Jail could be shifted to another jail -- Mandoli Jail in Delhi. Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju representing the Centre had told the bench that Chandrashekhar could be transferred to Mandoli Jail in Delhi and the prison is guarded by paramilitary forces.

As a senior advocate, R Basant, appearing for Chandrashekhar, objected to shifting him to Mandoli Jail, the apex court had asked him to file a statement in response to the Centre's proposal to transfer him to Mandoli prison. ASG Raju had told the bench that shifting Chandrashekhar from Tihar Jail was unwarranted. While being lodged in jail, he was involved in all illegal activities and he had also called up some judges impersonating the Law Minister asking them to pass orders in his favor, the ASG had argued.

Earlier, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) sought prosecution of Chandrashekhar for perjury claiming that he has falsely stated in his affidavit about a physical assault in Tihar Jail and deliberately omitted the report of the doctors who ruled out any physical injury to him. The investigating agency had opposed his plea before the top court to transfer him and his wife from Tihar Jail to any other prison outside Delhi on the ground of a threat to his life.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for ED, had said that Chandrashekhar used to call models and celebrities to his jail in collusion with prison staff, who have been suspended and an inquiry has been ordered against them. ED had told the top court that Chandrashekhar indulged in money laundering, extortion, and impersonation of public officials including that of those holding constitutional posts, and had opposed his plea for prison transfer outside Delhi.

Director General (Prisons), Delhi Prisons in an affidavit had stated that the contentions of Chandrashekhar 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." Chandrashekhar's counsel had told the bench that his client continuously faces threats to his life from the jail staff and protection money is being sought from him.

The Supreme Court on June 13 said that it would be appropriate to transfer Chandrashekhar and his wife to some other jail so to allay the apprehension of all concerned and asked the Centre to take a decision on the appropriate jail to which he can be transferred. Chandrashekhar is lodged in Tihar jail on charges of money laundering and duping several persons and claimed a threat to his life in the prison.

Chandrashekhar along with his wife had moved the top court seeking his transfer from Tihar Jail to another prison. He said that since he has leveled allegations against jail officials, he faces a threat to his life. He had alleged that the Tihar prison authorities have extorted around Rs 12.5 crore from him in the last two years.

He is charged with many multi-crore fraud cases and is also accused of extorting Rs 200 crore from the family of former Fortis Healthcare and Ranbaxy Lab promoters Shivinder and Malvinder Singh from the premises of the prison. He was also arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case linked to the 2017 Election Commission bribery instance allegedly involving former AIADMK leader TTV Dhinakaran and others.

A number of women Bollywood actors and models have been questioned by the ED for their alleged links to Chandrashekhar. (ANI)

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)