New Delhi: Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena approved a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into allegations of extortion against former minister Satyendar Jain, news agency PTI reported. The complaint of extortion was lodged by Sukesh Chandrashekhar, who is accused in a money laundering case.
Jain allegedly demanded Rs 10 crore from Chandrashekhar as "protection money." Additionally, a former director general of Tihar jail has also been implicated in the matter, according to Raj Niwas officials.
Under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act, the LG has authorised the CBI inquiry against Jain, who previously served as the Home Minister in the Arvind Kejriwal government in Delhi. Jain was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case in May 2022 and is currently lodged in Tihar jail.
According to the report, in addition to granting approval for the CBI inquiry, LG Saxena has also forwarded the case to the Ministry of Home Affairs for further action.
Notably, on February 9, the LG had sanctioned a CBI probe against Raj Kumar, the former Superintendent of Tihar Jail, for allegedly extorting money on behalf of Jain and Sandeep Goel, the former DG of Tihar Jail.
The allegations against Jain involve claims by Sukesh Chandrashekhar that he paid Rs 10 crore to Jain in multiple installments between 2018 and 2021. The CBI is currently investigating the matter, with the request for prosecution sanction forwarded by the Directorate of Vigilance (DoV), GNCTD, to the LG, who holds the authority in such cases.
In addition to Satyendar Jain and Raj Kumar, Sukesh has levelled allegations against Sandeep Goel and an individual named Mukesh Prasad, alleging that they extorted Rs 12.50 crore from him in multiple transactions spanning from 2019 to 2022.