Tihar Jail Superintendent suspended on ED's complaints of VIP treatment to Satyendra Jain

The Superintendent of Tihar Jail Ajit Kumar has been suspended over allegations that AAP leader Satyendra Jain lodged there is receiving luxurious treatment under his supervision.

"He has prima facie been found to have committed irregularities that warrant an inquiry," the Prison department of the Delhi government said in a statement. This comes just two weeks after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) complained to a Delhi court that the rules of the jail are being violated by giving VIP treatment to Jain. 

What facilities is Jain allegedly receiving?

According to ED's complaints, Jain's alleged luxurious lifestyle includes regular access to home-cooked food as well as massages in the jail. The agency claimed that the AAP leader's wife Poonam Jain gets to visit him often, which is a violation of the jail’s manual. It is also claimed that Jain gets fresh fruits and vegetables delivered to his cell and the sheets of his bed and pillow covers are also being changed on a regular basis. What's more, he allegedly has access to electronic gadgets. 

Responding to ED's allegations, the jail authority earlier said that none of these facilities is being provided to Jain and that he is being treated just like any other prisoner. The Central agency even accused the authorities of allowing Jain to talk with other accused, Ankush Jain and Vaibhav Jain during conversations that last hours.

Countering this, the jail authority said that the co-accused are lodged in the same ward and thus are allowed to talk to each other. ED, on the other hand, says that these exemptions could affect the investigation against Jain who was arrested by ED on May 30 this year under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Why is Satyendra Jain arrested? 

Jain was arrested after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed an FIR against him in 2017 for allegedly setting up four shell companies and money laundering. His family was also booked by the CBI as they laundered Rs 11.78 crore in 2011-12 and Rs 4.63 crore in 2015-16, per CBI's complaints. 

The ED initiated a probe against the AAP leader and his family and attached assets worth Rs 4.81 in April this year which led to his arrest.