Tihar Jail SP gets showcause notice after moving inmates to 'lonely' Satyendar Jain's cell

A showcause notice has been issued to the Superintendent of Tihar Jail No. 7 for transferring two prisoners to the cell of former Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain. Notably, the jailed minister requested authorities to lodge him with at least two inmates citing depression and the need for more social interactions. 

Jain has been in jail since he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in 2022 in connection with a money laundering case. According to sources, Jain submitted an application on May 11 requesting to change his prison cell. 

“Jain in his application said he is feeling depressed and low because of loneliness. A psychiatrist suggested him for more social interactions and he requested to lodge him with at least two more persons. He also provided two persons’ names,” an officer said, citing the application. 

Delhi | Showcause notice issued to Superintendent of Jail No. 7, Tihar Jail, for transferring two prisoners to the cell of Former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain who requested to lodge him with at least two inmates citing depression & need for more social interactions. Inmates were…

— ANI (@ANI) May 15, 2023

The tale of AAP leader Satyendar Jain enjoying VIP treatment in jail has been in the news for quite some time now. From purported videos of him getting massages and meeting visitors inside the jail to enjoying a sumptuous meal inside the cell, Jain was accused of living a luxurious life in Tihar. 

Earlier, according to the CCTV footage, Enforcement Directorate alleged that Satyendar Jain often met the co-accused in the case, Ankush Jain and Vaibhav Jain, who are lodged in the Tihar jail as well. The central agency also claimed that Satyendar Jain's wife, Poonam Jain, visited him often in the cell.

Satyendar Jain's woes 

The Delhi Minister was arrested by ED on May 30. At that juncture, Jain held the portfolios of Home, Health, Public Works Department, Power, Water, Industries, Urban Development, Irrigation, Flood Control, Labour, and Employment. The ED recorded an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) against the Delhi Minister and others on August 30, 2017, based on the CBI's disproportionate assets case registered earlier.

During the investigation, ED revealed that companies beneficially owned and controlled by him received accommodation entries to the tune of Rs 4.81 crore from shell companies against cash transferred to Kolkata-based entry operators. Moreover, these funds were purportedly utilised for the direct purchase of land or for the repayment of loans taken for the purchase of agricultural land in and around Delhi.