AAP leader and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal “did not take action, delayed or resorted to compromise” over complaints about “illegal things happening” while Sahara Group founder Subrata Roy was imprisoned in Tihar Jail, a former jail official has alleged and said that air hostesses of Sahara Airlines “used to come to Roy and remain with him for hours”.
Sunil Kumar Gupta, a former Tihar Jail PRO, also said that there were whiskey bottles in the place where the late Sahara Group chief was lodged and he had apprised Kejriwal of all the happenings. He said action could have been taken against the Jail Administration.
Gupta told media in an interview that he had first complained to the then DG (Prisons) about the illegal things, but he paid no heed. Gupta said he later went to Kejriwal, who was then the Chief Minister, with the complaint that facilities were being provided “in cahoots with” the Jail Administration.
He said “ultimately, nothing concrete was done” and Subrata Roy “continued enjoying the facilities”.
Gupta recounted his tenure and alleged that late Subrata Roy Sahara was provided special favours by the jail administration when he was an inmate, that Kejriwal didn’t take any action when he approached him.
“He (Subrata Roy Sahara) was provided with a video conferencing facility (as allowed by the Supreme Court). But besides that, air hostesses of Sahara Airlines used to come to him and remain with him for hours. I had seen whiskey bottles there…I had told Arvind Kejriwal everything. But I think he might have thought that he wouldn’t be able to do anything against an IPS officer, or maybe he compromised,” Gupta said.
#WATCH | Delhi: Former Tihar Jail PRO Sunil Kumar Gupta recounts his tenure and alleges that late Subrata Roy Sahara was provided special favours by the jail administration when he was an inmate, also alleges that the then CM Arvind Kejriwal didn't take any action when he… pic.twitter.com/ivgaV7qwxI
— ANI (@ANI) February 25, 2025
Gupta alleged that the Tihar Jail Administration buckled before the Sahara chief, who passed away in November 2023, and that the facilities were provided to him on the suggestion of Jail Administration to the court.
“Subrata Roy Sahara (late Sahara Group chief) owed thousands of crores of rupees to several people. So, Supreme Court had sentenced him to jail. He was first kept in regular jail. He then said that he has to sell off hotels and with the money that would be generated, he can pay back lenders. He had sought permission from the court for video conferencing with several buyers of his hotels, who belonged to western countries and that the sale can’t go through unless this happens. Supreme Court asked the jail administration for a solution,” Gupta said.
“Jail administration said that it is not possible to happen while being in jail…It could be done from outside the jail. He was then shifted to the court complex that had video conferencing facility, he had also brought in his own facility…He used to sleep at night in the same complex…The Supreme Court’s direction said that everything has to be done legally. But I saw that a lot of illegal things were happening…Before this, the Delhi High Court had called me and it said that there are several complaints of bribery and extortion at the jail,” Gupta added.
Gupta said he raised this issue in meetings that were chaired by DG Prisons.
“DG Prison felt I was complaining against him. So, he did not take it well…The then DG paid no heed and did not take any action. I was left with no choice. So, I approached (the then) CM Arvind Kejriwal…In the presence of Jail Minister, I told him (the then CM Kejriwal) everything about the facilities of Subrata Roy Sahara and that these facilities are being provided in cahoots with jail administration,” he said.
“Arvind Kejriwal asked me if I could shoot a video of it. I told him it wouldn’t be right for me and he could come here and check it for himself. He then said that DG Prison is an IPS officer who comes under Central government and we do not know if we can do anything about him…He also said that if everything is found in the raid, action would need to be taken against the Superintendent. I told him that when you take action against the Superintendent, he would say that he was doing everything at the behest of Director General. He was fine with it…I was happy…But two days later, DG told me that it was not good of me to approach (the then CM), and I implicated a ‘gareeb aadmi’…But nothing was done about it,” he added.
Gupta said the Jail Minister visited the headquarters and told the concerned DG and “other officers to not do anything wrong hereon”.
“Ultimately nothing concrete was done. He (Subrata Roy Sahara) continued enjoying the facilities. Jail administration buckled before him…Then they started harassing me…I met (the then) Lt Governor. He told me to speak with his Secretary, I did that and explained everything to him…but nobody paid any heed to whatever I said…When I was retiring, I was served a 15-page chargesheet regarding irregularities in a 10-year-old course…This was just to harass…I was exonerated after four-five years and the Government withdrew the chargesheet. But I was so troubled for those 5 years…I knew this would happen,” he said.
Subrata Roy had faced controversies and fought legal battles over accusations of his firms circumventing regulations in schemes floated by these companies.
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