It seems that the dreaded criminals in the national Capital feel safer inside the jail premises, especially inside Tihar in south-west jail. The recent arrest of the suspended Haryana cadre IAS officer Sanjeev Kumar(55) for hatching a criminal conspiracy to kill a businessman who was once his close associate, was planned in Tihar with the help of another inmate.
According to a source, “The criminals, either convicted or under trail have access to mobile phones even when they are behind bars. Someway or the other, the inmates manage to get mobile phones inside the prison.” However, the concerned authorities of Tihar claim that they had installed jammers inside the jail premises so that even advocates or relatives of criminals do not have access, but the claims have absolutely fallen flat.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch), Ravindra Yadav on Friday said Kumar who is out on bail on medical grounds was in touch with Shaukat Pasha, a gangster lodged in Tihar jail, over phone. It proves that the criminals are still using mobile phones inside the jail either to run extortion rackets or to plan contract killing deals.
It is important to mention that Pasha is undergoing life sentence in Tihar and Kumar befriended him when he himself was lodged there. In March this year, the Delhi High Court convicted Kumar for 10 years imprisonment in the JBT scam along with former Chief Minister of Haryana Om Prakash Chautala, Ajay Chautala, Sher Singh Badshami, (former MLA and political advisor) Vidya Sagar (IAS and OSD to CM) and 50 other accused persons.
He discussed his plans of eliminating Tikka Hassan Mustafa, once his associate but in the recent past he had developed rivalry with him over a property dispute. To eliminate Mustafa, Kumar gave a contract of Rs 20 lakhs to Pasha. Despite being lodged inside, Pasha managed to convey the message to Taufiq, a criminal who ganged up with his associates Asad and Aftab to commit a murder.
The whole deal was sealed over phone. Pasha was also arrested after obtaining production warrant against him by the court.
“In many cases, the proclaimed offenders on whom police announce reward money too, surrender themselves so that they can live a safe life in the jail. They find it easier to keep in touch with their aides and associates as they have an access to mobile phones with which they can continue their illegal activities. After serving few months or years of their punishment in the jail they come out on bail and usually jump it. And the chain continues..” the source added.