Delhi HC orders Vigilance Dept to expedite inquiry into Tihar extortion racket

New Delhi [India], October 30 (ANI): The Delhi High Court on Thursday directed the Delhi government's Vigilance Department to expeditiously conclude the disciplinary inquiry and take action against the jail officials allegedly involved in running an extortion racket inside Tihar Jail.
The Bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela directed the Vigilance Department to appoint an inquiry officer within two weeks and ensure that the investigation proceeds without delay.
The direction followed the Delhi government's Additional Chief Secretary (Home), who informed the court that he would personally coordinate with the Vigilance Department to ensure that an officer is appointed and the inquiry is completed swiftly.
The Bench fixed the matter for further hearing on January 7, 2026, by which time the Delhi government has been directed to submit a status report detailing progress in the disciplinary proceedings.
"The CBI shall also file a status report regarding the development in the criminal proceedings," the Bench added, emphasising that both administrative and criminal inquiries must advance simultaneously.
On the previous hearing held on August 13, the Delhi High Court was informed that disciplinary action had been initiated against nine jail officials in connection with the alleged extortion racket. The Delhi government's counsel had stated that all nine officials were suspended and transferred from Jail No. 1 and were facing proceedings under the Central Civil Services (CCS) Rules.
"We will submit our report within two months," the counsel had assured, following which the court granted eight weeks to both the Delhi government and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file their status reports.
The Bench had also underscored that disciplinary rules must be followed strictly in accordance with law and warned against procedural lapses.
The case stems from a petition filed by businessman Mohit Kumar Goyal, highlighting corruption and illegal activities within Tihar Jail, and by businessman Mohit Kumar Goyal, who was earlier arrested in a cheating case and later released on bail. Goyal alleged that an organised extortion network was operating inside the prison with the active involvement of jail staff and certain inmates.
Taking serious note of the allegations, the High Court had, in September 2024, ordered a judicial inspection of Tihar Jail. The inspection report dated April 7, 2025, revealed the misuse of the prison's landline phones for making extortion calls and flagged systemic irregularities involving prison authorities.
Following the findings, on May 2, 2025, the Court directed the CBI to register a Preliminary Enquiry (PE) into the matter and asked the Delhi government to identify and act against officials complicit in the illegal network. This process ultimately led to the current suspensions.
The High Court has been closely monitoring the case for over a year, calling for coordinated accountability between the Delhi government's prison administration and the CBI. In an earlier hearing, the Bench had expressed strong disapproval of the preferential treatment allegedly accorded to certain inmates, observing that "it is unacceptable that some prisoners enjoy undue privileges while basic needs are denied to others." (ANI)