New Delhi, June 21: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar should be prosecuted for perjury, as it opposed his plea seeking transfer from the Tihar Jail to any other prison outside the national capital.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the ED, submitted before a vacation bench comprising Justices C.T. Ravikumar and Sudhanshu Dhulia, that “he impersonated the Law Secretary, Home Secretary and even made calls to judges”.
The Enforcement Directorate (@dir_ed) told the #SupremeCourt that conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar should be prosecuted for perjury, as it opposed his plea seeking transfer from the Tihar Jail to any other prison outside the national capital. pic.twitter.com/WHkK1bwyqI
— IANS (@ians_india) June 21, 2022
Mehta said the conman should be prosecuted for perjury for making false allegations of torture and also assault inside the jail premises. Citing the ED’s affidavit, he added that Chandrashekhar colluded with jail officials for his illegal activities.
The bench told Mehta that a two-judge bench has already passed an order to shift both Chandrashekhar and his wife Leena Paulouse from Tihar jail, as they cited danger to their life.
“In the facts and circumstances, without entering into the rival contentions, it would be appropriate to transfer the petitioners to some other jail so to allay the apprehension of all concerned……”, said the top court in its June 17 order.
Justice Ravikumar pointed out at the specific finding in the June 17 order as he said: “So long as it’s there, how can we give a different view?” But Mehta contended that ED was not a party in that order.
Senior advocate R. Basant, representing Chandrashekhar and his wife, submitted that the jail officials were demanding bribes from them for not torturing them and the June 17 order was passed after hearing the Central government.
Mehta said Chandrashekhar called some models to visit him in the jail in collusion with jail officials, and those officials who assisted him were either arrested or terminated from the services.
Taking up the matter after lunch, the bench noted since it is a two-judge bench order, therefore it will not be justified to modify the order. “It’ll be a review of the order. So, after vacation, let us place it before that bench,” said the bench, adding that they have been informed that the same bench which passed the June 17 order will not sit again during vacation.
Mehta assured the safety of the petitioners inside the jail. “We have posted a Tamil Nadu Special Police Force… he (Chandrashekhar) can be rest assured. Genuinely, we will be protecting him. One of the grounds raised that he was assaulted… the hospital doctors recorded something else. He has committed perjury,” he said.
After a detailed hearing in the matter, the bench posted it for further hearing on Thursday.
Chandrashekhar and his wife are currently lodged in Tihar Jail in cases related to cheating and extortion. They moved the apex court seeking transfer to any other jail citing threat to their lives.
The prison authorities have denied allegations that he was assaulted within the jail and that the medical examination did not report any external injuries on him.
