ED finds Unitech promoters operating from jail, Supreme Court slams Tihar Jail officials
Terming the revelation as serious and disturbing, the Apex court ordered that the brothers be lodged in separate jails in Maharashtra.
FollowThe Supreme Court on Thursday called the Tihar Jail Superintendent "shameless" after it came to know that he was allegedly colluding with Unitech promoters, Sanjay Chandra and Ajay Chandra, and allowing them to operate from within the jail premises.
Unitech promoters have been in Tihar jail since their arrest on charges of cheating homebuyers.
The rebuke from the Supreme Court bench comprising Justices DY Chandrachud and MR Shah came after the Enforcement Directorate informed them that the duo was operating from an underground office.
The ED, which is conducting a money-laundering probe, informed the bench that Sanjay Chandra and Ajay Chandra were carrying out transactions from the underground office.
The ED had in July attached assets worth Rs 106.08 crore in the case, which included three parcels of land located in Haryana's Gurugram.
Additional Solicitor General Madhavi Divan, who was appearing for the ED, claimed that the brothers had assigned people outside the jail to communicate their instructions.
He said that during a search and seizure operation, the agency officials stumbled upon a secret underground office, which was being used by Unitech founder Ramesh Chandra and by his sons whenever they are out on parole or bail.Â
Terming the revelation as serious and disturbing, the Apex court ordered that the brothers be lodged in separate jails in Maharashtra.
While one of the Unitech Promoters will now cool his heels inside the Taloja jail in Raigad district, the other would be lodged in Mumbai's Arthur Road prison.
The Supreme Court has also directed Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana to initiate a probe immediately against jail officials who were allegedly conniving with the Chandras. The Delhi top cop has been ordered to submit a report within 4 weeks.
