Ankit Gujjar's death in Tihar: CBI to wrap up probe in a month, looking at extortion angle

New Delhi: CBI Thursday told the Delhi high court that it was "going beyond" the death of inmate Ankit Gujjar in Tihar jail earlier this year and examining the aspect of extortion by officials at a larger scale in its probe.

The agency informed Justice Mukta Gupta, who had earlier transferred the probe from Delhi police to CBI, that investigation in the case was at a crucial stage and was likely to be complete within a month.

The judge granted time to CBI to file a status report in a sealed cover and asked the investigating officer to "take measures" in case of threat to any witnesses.

Gujjar, 29, was found dead inside his cell in Tihar jail on August 4 this year.

The court was hearing a petition by the deceased's family alleging his death on account of harassment by the jail officials for not meeting their demands for money.

"We are examining extortion and murder. We are going beyond the case and looking into the larger conspiracy... We have sought the bank account (of relevant persons)," CBI counsel said.

The counsel asserted that the CBI was "linking the chain" and "within a month, the grievances raised by the petitioner would be sorted out".

He added that statements of 60 witnesses have been recorded and sought the court's permission to file a status report in a sealed cover.

Lawyer Mehmood Pracha, appearing for the petitioners, stated that there were eye-witnesses who needed adequate protection against coercion inside the jail and submitted that the CCTV cameras were deliberately switched off at the time of the incident.

In September, the court had transferred investigation into the death of Gujjar from Delhi police to CBI after opining that the deceased "lost his life to custodial

violence".

Observing that it was unfathomable that the jail doctor failed to see the multiple injuries on the deceased, the court had said that an investigation was needed into not only the offence of brutally beating the deceased but also into "the role of jail doctors in not providing proper treatment at the right time".