Airhostesses, whiskey for Subrata Roy in jail; Kejriwal ignored action: Ex-Tihar official's explosive claims

Initially placed in a regular cell, Roy later sought permission to use video conferencing for negotiations involving his international assets, arguing that selling them would help repay lenders. (File photo)

Late Sahara Group chief Subrata Roy Sahara received special privileges during imprisonment, supported by the jail administration, alleged former Tihar Jail Public Relations Officer (PRO) Sunil Kumar Gupta. He has further claimed that despite raising concerns about these irregularities, then-Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal failed to take action.

Gupta, in an interaction with ANI on Tuesday, recounted that Roy was jailed following a Supreme Court directive over unpaid dues amounting to thousands of crores. Initially placed in a regular cell, Roy later sought permission to use video conferencing for negotiations involving his international assets, arguing that selling them would help repay lenders.

According to Gupta, the Supreme Court had asked the jail administration to propose a solution. However, since video conferencing was deemed infeasible inside the prison, Roy was moved to a court complex with necessary facilities, where he also set up his own equipment and allegedly stayed overnight.

“The Supreme Court had mandated legal procedures, but several irregularities occurred. There were ongoing complaints of bribery and extortion within Tihar Jail, and when I raised these concerns in meetings chaired by the Director General (DG) of Prisons, they were dismissed as personal grievances,” Gupta stated during his interaction with ANI.

Gupta claimed that after his concerns were ignored by the prison authorities, he escalated the matter to Kejriwal. During a meeting attended by the Jail Minister, he detailed how Roy was receiving preferential treatment in collusion with jail officials.

“Kejriwal asked me if I could record a video as proof. I told him it would not be appropriate and suggested he inspect the premises himself. He responded that the DG Prisons, being an IPS officer, fell under the jurisdiction of the central government, and he was unsure of his authority to intervene,” Gupta alleged.

Despite an initial assurance that an inspection would be conducted and action taken, Gupta claimed that no steps were taken. Instead, he was later warned by the DG that approaching the CM had been a mistake.

Gupta further stated that after raising complaints, he faced harassment from the jail administration. “After my complaints, I was served a 15-page chargesheet related to alleged irregularities in a decade-old course. This was an attempt to harass me before my retirement. It took four to five years for the government to withdraw the charges and exonerate me, but those years were mentally distressing,” he said.

Adding to his allegations, Gupta claimed that Roy was not only provided video conferencing facilities but also received visits from air hostesses of Sahara Airlines, who spent hours with him. He further alleged the presence of whiskey bottles near Roy’s area.

“I witnessed these incidents firsthand and reported them to Arvind Kejriwal. But I believe he either felt powerless against an IPS officer or chose to overlook the issue,” Gupta remarked.