The CBI has sought sanction from the Delhi LG to file a case against former Jail Minister Satyendar Jain for allegedly extorting crores of rupees from various "high profile prisoners", including alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekar, to enable them to live comfortably in prison, officials said.

The CBI, while seeking mandatory sanction from Lieutenant General VK Saxena to proceed against Jain, has alleged that "a high level corruption and extortion racket" was being run in the jails of Delhi in connivance with then DG Prison Sandeep Goel and then Additional Inspector General of Prisons Mukesh Prasad along with associate officers, private persons and accomplices.

"They worked as a syndicate for the same," the CBI alleged in its letter to Saxena.

It said it has "source information" that Jain allegedly "extorted and received Rs 10 crore from jail inmate Chandrashekar in various tranches during 2018-21 either himself or through his accomplices, as protection money," to enable the alleged conman to live a peaceful and comfortable life in jail.

Chandrashekhar is lodged in a jail here on charges of money laundering and duping several people.

"Goel and Mukesh Prasad also extorted and received Rs 12.50 crore from jail inmate Sukesh Chandrashekar. The amounts were extorted and received by them in various tranches during 2019-22 either themselves or through their accomplices, as protection money, so as to enable inmate Sukesh Chandrashekar to live peacefully and comfortably in jail," it alleged.

The extortion was also carried out by Goel and Prasad from "other high profile prisoners lodged in jail as protection money" to allow them live in jall safely and comfortably, the agency alleged The CBI alleged that Raj Kumar, the then Jail Superintendent, Central Jail-4, Tihar was a close associate of Goel and aided him in extorting money from Chandrashekar.

Jain, Goel, Prasad and Kumar "misused their official positions" as public servants and "extended undue favour and advantage" to Chandrashekar and other high profile inmates in the jails of Delhi "in lieu of valuable considerations from the inmates", the agency alleged.

AAP leader Jain is lodged in a Delhi jail in connection with a money laundering case.

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