The Delhi Excessive Court docket on Friday requested the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct a preliminary inquiry into allegations of an “extortion racket” being run inside Tihar Jail with the “involvement of its officers”.

A Bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela additionally directed the Principal Secretary of the Delhi authorities’s Dwelling Division to carry an inquiry and establish the officers accountable for the executive and supervisory lapses within the jail.

The court docket was listening to a petition filed by a former inmate alleging extortion and mentioning the protection and safety of prisoners contained in the jail.

“The petition highlights sure irregularities, illegalities, malpractices and misconduct not solely on the a part of the jail authorities but in addition inmates. The allegations are as critical as that in connivance with jail authorities extortion racket was working on jail premises for procuring sure amenities,” the court docket noticed.

The Bench stated a report of the inspecting choose, jail quantity 8 and semi open jail, tendered to it in a sealed cowl revealed “very disturbing info” indicating legal actions and irregularities within the functioning of the jail.

“For completely conducting an inquiry into the matter, because the report [of inspecting judge] contained allegations of legal actions, we deem it acceptable to require the CBI to conduct a preliminary enquiry into the matter,” the court docket ordered.

The court docket requested the CBI and the principal secretary to submit their experiences earlier than the following listening to on August 11.