The Supreme Court on Thursday directed that former Unitech promoters Sanjay Chandra and Ajay Chandra be shifted from Tihar Jail to Mumbai’s Arthur Road Jail and Taloja prison in Maharashtra after the ED said they were conducting business from the premises in connivance with the staff.

The top court, which perused two status reports of the Enforcement Directorate, said Tihar Jail superintendent and other staff are “absolutely shameless” for conniving with the Chandra brothers to flout the court orders and undermine its jurisdiction.

A bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and M.R. Shah said the brothers will be lodged separately in Arthur Road and Taloja prisons.

“Materials on record indicate that despite the orders of this court, activities are taking place within the Tihar Central Jail, where the two are lodged, which have the propensity to undermine the authority of the court, as also to derail the investigations which have been ordered to be done by the ED,” the bench said.

During the hearing, the bench told additional solicitor- general (ASG) Madhavi Divan, appearing for the ED, “Tihar jail officials have actively connived with the accused to flout the orders of this court. We have to say that the Tihar Jail superintendent and his staff are absolutely shameless...Can you imagine it is happening right in the Centre and in the capital? We will certainly take them to task.”

According to the ASG, despite being in jail the Chandra brothers managed to dispose of several properties and handle original documents, including the sale deeds of various apartments.