The authorities of the Jodhpur Central jail were left red-faced when the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) arrested jailer Mukesh Tyagi and three others on Tuesday night on charges of running an extortion racket. The ACB made the arrest after an undertrial complained of extortion and alleged that he is receiving threats.
The ACB also recovered liquor, `5,000 cash, sweets and cigarettes from them. Undertrial Amrit Gehlot has been allegedly threatened in the jail by life convict Imran on behalf of the jailer. Imran had allegedly made a call to Gehlot’s brother in-law Surendra and asked him to deposit `50,000 in two bank accounts in Ajmer district.
According to the ACB, the money was demanded to provide security to the undertrial and one of the relative also deposited `20,000 in one of the accounts, but it was not enough. “Imran called up Surendra again and told him that if the money will not be paid, some one has assigned him a supari to kill undertrial Gehlot, said an officer. “The gang was allegedly working under jailer Tyagi. The members of gang were arrested when they were returning from from Jodhpur Medical Hospital on Tuesday night after collecting money, an officer said.
The Jodhpur Central Jail is considered to be one of the safest prison in the country and separatist from Kashmir were housed here. During insurgency in Punjab, a strong group of militants were brought to Jodhpur and kept here.
Bollywood actor Salman Khan was also lodged here following a court verdict in poaching case, but for last two years, the jail became centre of criminal activities. In year 2010, a convict had murdered jail superintendent.