Medical officer at Mandoli jail hospital suspended on retirement day for okaying wristwatch for Sukesh Chandrasekhar | India News

Chandrashekhar is currently in prison for allegedly extorting Rs 200 crore from Aditi Singh, the wife of former Ranbaxy owner Shivendra Singh. He allegedly posed as a PMO representative and called Aditi on the pretext of helping her husband get out of jail. “Since 2017, Sukesh has been lodged in the jails due to his involvement in several criminal cases and he was transferred to Mandoli jail on November 4, 2023. His conduct is also unsatisfactory and he has received 11 recorded punishments,” the officer said.

The jail authorities provided the wristwatch to Chandrashekhar after a Delhi court permitted it “subject to relevant security checks”, but later, approached the Delhi High Court against the order.

In an order issued on January 10, Special Judge Vishal Gogne of Rouse Avenue court had said, “A report has been received from the Superintendent-II on behalf of DIG Prison, Tihar, Delhi stating that as per rules 1268, certain articles in the nature of bullion, metal, coin, jewellery, ornaments, goggles, currency notes, securities and articles of values are prohibited in the jail. The report concludes that in view of the said provision inmates are not permitted to wear a wrist watch.”

“…The court would notice that the same report was received on the previous date whereupon the court found it fit, in view of the possibly divergent practices relating to a seemingly innocuous prayer for wearing a wrist watch, to call for a further report. The previous order specified that the DIG would clarify whether the applications of any of the inmates seeking permission to wear a watch have been allowed by the respective Jail Superintendents,” the order said.

“This precise query has not been answered in the reply received from the jail authorities. It is also of concern that the applicant/accused has infact produced the written order of the RMO which has recommended that he be permitted to wear a simple wrist watch. The applicant has also named other inmates, whose names are presently not required to be recorded in the order sheet, who have been permitted and are infact wearing wrist watches in his own jail,” the order said.

“At this stage, let a scanned copy of the report of the RMO, cited by the applicant in court be sent to the Deputy Superintendent, who will verify the authenticity of the same. Till then, the applicant is permitted to wear a simple wrist watch subject to relevant security checks. At this stage, the applicant submits that his previously used watch is already deposited with the office of the Jail Superintendent and it shall be released to him. In view of the above submissions, let the same watch be provided to the applicant. In the alternative, the counsel for the applicant is permitted to provide a simple wrist watch to him,” Special Judge Gogne said in his order.

The state, through the superintendent of Central Jail, Mandoli, filed a petition before the Delhi High Court, challenging the trial court’s order.

“Last month, the Delhi HC had issued notice on a plea filed by the Mandoli Jail’s authority where we challenged the decision issued by the trial court that allows Sukesh to wear a wristwatch while in custody. We had informed the court that this decision could compromise security and set a precedent for other inmates. We requested the trial court’s order should be dismissed and quashed,” the officer said.