NEW DELHI: Security personnel have seized a pair of Gucci sandals worth Rs 1.5 lakh and trousers worth Rs 80,000 during a raid at Sukesh Chandrasekhar’s cell in Mandoli jail, according to prison officials.CCTV footage of the search surfaced on social media platforms on Thursday. In the video, Sukesh seems jittery and rattled by the sudden raid. He is later seen standing with his hands behind his back as officials barge into his cell. The footage shows him breaking down and crying profusely in front of jailer Deepak Sharma and Jai Singh, another official, as they conduct the raid. Sukesh is patted, frisked and his cell ransacked thoroughly for any suspicious item.The CCTV footage is at least two weeks old, officials said, adding that an inquiry has been initiated to ascertain how it was leaked.Investigators said the seizure of the items corroborated their knowledge about Sukesh’s ways.TimesViewThe expensive pants and shoes wouldn’t have landed in the cell without someone’s help. Authorities must find out who were involved in smuggling them into the jail and take suitable action against them.“He has always been fond of expensive clothing and footwear, and this has also helped him many times to get through troubled times. It’s possible that he may have retained these items as they could be used to bribe officials given his cash flow. His free run is under check now after this,” said a police official.Sukesh has been known to ‘gift’ expensive and branded items, like the ones recovered from his cell, to people or even jail officials for seeking undue favours.According to officials, there is a semblance of normalcy in the jail during the tenure of the new prison chief, Sanjay Baniwal, and the operation suggests the luxurious life Sukesh was living inside the jail may be now a thing of the past.Investigators, however, are not too confident this will last.“Sukesh has a way of getting around hurdles. Our inputs suggest he has been trying hard to either get transferred to a jail outside Delhi, get bail/parole or re-establish his authority in jail somehow,” said a source.Earlier, Sukesh allegedly had numerous sweet boxes in his jail room that were filled with cash. He used to stay in two rooms, on the ground and first floor, at Jail No. 1, which was converted into a luxurious office with all kinds of amenities, such as an LED TV, according to a police chargesheet.
Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/rich-haul-raid-on-sukesh-chandrasekhars-mandoli-prison-cell-unearths-gucci-sandals-worth-rs-1-5-lakh-rs-80000-trousers/articleshow/98190835.cms