New Delhi: There is no substantial evidence of any major extortion racket in Tihar prison, the CBI has said while filing a closure report in a Delhi High Court-ordered probe arising out of allegations levelled by the family of Ankit Gujjar, an inmate who was beaten to death in the prison.
Officials said Gujjar's family had alleged that he was killed as he failed to meet the extortion demands from the prison officials. The Delhi High Court had directed the CBI to probe the allegations of extortion in the jail as well as Gujjar's death. The agency had initiated two separate investigations - one related to the death of Gujjar and the other a general investigation into the alleged extortion activities in Tihar jail--on the orders of the high court, they said.
In its closure report in the high court-directed "general investigation" into the alleged extortion, the agency has said it failed to find any strong evidence indicating the crime. The agency said that three jail officials were suspected of running an extortion racket in general in the jail, but there is "only a weak" evidence against them and recommended the closure.
"IO has filed one closure report on November 11, 2023, pertaining to the general investigation carried out qua extortion racket going in Tihar jail by giving finding that other 3 jail officials Devender Dagar, Shri Bhagwan and Vinod Yadav are suspected persons for running the extortion racket in general in Tihar jail but there is only a weak type of evidence against them.
"After carrying out some investigation, this closure report is filed in compliance with the direction...the...High Court order dated September 08, 2021, directly in this court," the special court had noted in its order last week. The special court will take a final call on whether to accept the findings or order further investigation.
In the Gujjar death case, the CBI had filed two charge sheets - main and supplementary - against six prison officials on July 2, 2022, and September 15, 2022, in which the accused were charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder. The agency said the probe into Gujjar's death is complete and no further charge sheets will be filed. The agency had told the Special Court last year that it "did not find sufficient evidence" to indicate that the death of Gujjar happened due to extortion.
Gujjar (29), who was facing charges of multiple murders and was lodged in prison number three of Tihar, was found dead on August 4, 2021, they said. The CBI has alleged that Gujjar was assaulted by six prison officials.
