New Delhi: A 25-year-old tempo driver, whose father and brother are lodged in Rohini Jail in connection with a murder case, blew the lid off the massive extortion racket allegedly flourishing inside Delhi’s prisons. It was his complaint to the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) that triggered an investigation, which uncovered the network.According to sources, the complainant’s father and brother were repeatedly threatened and harassed by jail staff, who warned them of adverse treatment unless they paid up. “His father and brother would regularly call him up and share mobile numbers or bank account details where money had to be transferred,” a source said.Fearing for the safety of the two and hoping to secure preferential treatment for them inside the jail, the 25-year-old continued paying up. Over time, he claimed to have coughed up around Rs 20 lakh to various accounts in instalments over several months, with fresh demands raised repeatedly. Every time he arranged some money, another demand would follow, with the same assurance that his father and brother would be protected from harassment inside the jail.The financial burden on the tempo driver became so severe that he was forced to sell his house to arrange the money. He also exhausted his savings and started borrowing from relatives.Unable to bear the pressure any longer, the 25-year-old man approached ACB and lodged a formal complaint on Feb 9 this year. During the course of the investigation, he handed over bank transaction records, account details, mobile numbers and other documents through which the payments had been made over several months. Investigators verified the financial trail and corroborated the details provided by him.Based on the evidence, ACB laid a trap and conducted a series of raids, leading to the arrest of 11 people. Those arrested include an assistant superintendent of a prison, six jail warders, two advocates and a couple of others. The role of some senior prisons officers is also under scrutiny.According to the sources, the man had earlier raised his grievances with prison authorities, but claimed no action was taken. Investigators are verifying this.
